Mischief Makers - Part 2
by Diezi
Summary: The team's safety is threatened when Loki's secret comes to light. (Note - I strongly suggest reading Part One first. The story continues in Part Three and concludes in Part Four.)
1. Chapter 1 - From Asgard with Love

**Part Two: Chapter One - From Asgard with Love**

* * *

Cami spent two more days training with the staff and running about the castle grounds with the gang before she was back in the presence of the king and queen. "Thor tells us that you feel ready to return home," Frigga said after inviting her into the royal suite and going right to work on her hair with the silver brush. Odin was reading in the corner chair, but put aside his scroll to give Cami his attention.

"Yes. My scars are almost gone," Cami told them.

"Then why not wait another day or two?" Frigga asked. "We have so enjoyed your visit."

"Your medicines have done wonders," Cami said with appreciation, "and I've enjoyed myself too." She met Odin's gaze and couldn't help frowning a bit. "I really do need to get back to classes and Loki and my brother."

"We're not keeping you prisoner," Odin said. "If it is your wish to go, then we will have Thor take you right away."

Cami was glad to hear this, but her mind was already switching concerns. "Thor told me there is a law against humans coming to Asgard."

Having finally completed the brushing, Frigga began separating Cami's hair for a braid. She focused on this task rather than respond.

"That is true," the king affirmed. "If I had carried you through the bifrost, Heimdall would have barred us from crossing the bridge into Asgard."

"Loki asked you to break the law and you did it. Why?"

"The universe is changing. Midgard is the youngest of the realms. Now that your people are advanced in the ways of science and war and believing in the lore of your ancestors again, the time has come to forge alliances between the realms. Asgard must play host to these peaceful negotiations. This I knew as soon as we began the efforts to rebuild the bifrost."

"Does that mean I might see you all again sometime? Because I'd really like that chance."

Frigga said with a lighthearted chuckle, "Of course you will. The way Thor speaks of you and Clint, you're practically members of the family."

* * *

Odin walked with Cami to Loki's suite when a servant reported that was where they could find Thor. Cami waited in the entry while Odin crossed the threshold, calling for his eldest son. "Cami is ready to leave," Odin told Thor as he caught sight of him. "I told her you could escort her home."

"Of course," Thor said, stepping out with Odin to the entry. "I'll continue my search when I return."

The king inquired, "What are you searching for in here?"

"I have been thinking," Thor explained. "If he had the means, Loki would have tried to fix his condition himself. When I came to get him to go to Midgard, he had a grimoire open on his table. I had forgotten until this morning and now it has been removed."

Odin looked perplexed. "Perhaps a servant moved it while they were cleaning."

The men walked back into the suite, turning right and disappearing deep into the rooms.

Cami strained to hear their conversation, but couldn't. She stared at the open doorway, feeling an almost itching curiosity trying to override her desire to stay in the entry.

Maybe Loki did try to find his own cure, but couldn't ask for help, at least not directly. Cami realized that there could be clues about his situation and Loki had sent her to Asgard in the hope that she would help to find them.

A servant walked by in the corridor and Cami turned to follow after her. "Excuse me," she said to the woman who looked to be around her age. "Can you tell me who cleaned Loki's rooms right after he left?"

"Igus always cleans Prince Loki's rooms," the woman said. "Is there something wrong?"

"We're looking for a book that Igus might have seen. It could be really important."

With a nod, the woman turned back the way she'd come, picking up her pace as she went in search.

Cami stepped back into the entry, once again staring at the open doorway. Was her hesitation really a product of her wish to respect Loki's privacy? She wanted to think so, but doubt clouded her mind.

Odin reappeared a few minutes later. "I apologize for the delay, Cami."

"It's alright. This is important. I have asked for the servant that cleans his rooms to come help."

"That is a very good idea. Also..." The king considered her before continuing, "I wondered if you might be willing to come in and take a look yourself. I do want to respect your wishes, but the palace inquisitor is away and you have had training much like his own."

Cami chewed at her lip as she looked up into Odin's beckoning blue eye. What did he expect her to do? She was a trainee agent and hadn't done much with investigations so far. "Perhaps someone who knows him better."

"Please?" Odin asked in a soft, yet determined tone. "I have to use all resources at my disposal and right now that includes you."

She couldn't say no to the guy who'd been so nice to her. So, with a defeated sigh, Cami stepped past Odin and into what reminded her of a lounge or sitting room; perhaps it was the Asgardian version of a living room.

"Huh," she said, looking around at the red, gold and black furnishings, "for some reason I thought there would be more green."

"Why is that?" Odin asked.

"I don't know. I guess because people have always described Loki wearing green. I must have assumed it was his favorite color."

"Frigga often dressed Loki in green as a child," Odin said, with a reminiscing look, "to match his eyes. Also some of the royal guards wear green and Loki's armor was styled after theirs."

Odin led her out of that room into a hallway that connected to a much larger space. It was a combination study area and bedroom. This is where they found Thor, standing in front of two large bookshelves.

"If the book is here, I don't see it," Thor said with a frustrated growl when he noted their arrival.

"Tell me what you remember about the book," Cami said, walking over to the table where a lone chair was placed.

"It was large and bound in a dark leather cover."

Cami asked, "Was it sitting here in front of the chair when you last saw it?"

"No, it was at the other end of the table, turned toward the door."

"Is the chair usually at this end?"

"Yes," Thor said. He pointed down. "You can see years of wear on the floor."

Cami looked and nodded. "So, he wasn't likely reading the book."

"Loki wanted someone else to read it," Odin speculated. "Why else would he turn it toward the door?"

A new figure entered the room. It was an older man dressed in servant's attire. "I was summoned, my king."

"Yes, Igus. Thor remembers there was a book here on the table when Loki left. Can you tell us what happened to it?"

"I'm sorry. I don't think I know the book you speak of, your majesty. There wasn't a book out when I cleaned the rooms." Igus said, looking sincere, yet concerned.

"Do any of the other servants come in here?" Cami asked Igus.

"Not usually."

"Someone moved it," Thor insisted with another growl. He returned to scanning the shelves.

"We need to search thoroughly before we assume it has been taken out of the suite," Odin said.

Cami turned, studying the room and noted that there was a lot of open space between the pieces of furniture. Most everything stood on raised legs that allowed you to see under it, all except the bed.

Cami walked over to the bed, which was comparable to a queen sized bed in Midgard and made up with black blankets. She got down on her stomach and looked under the heavy wooden frame into the shadows. To her surprise there was a book there, splayed wide with its pages bent and torn beneath the weight of the cover.

"I think I found it!" Cami said, stretching to grab the book and gently easing it out of concealment.

Thor came to take the book from Cami and walked over to place it carefully on the table. "That looks like the right one," Thor said, "but I know it was open on the table when Loki and I left here."

"It appears that someone tried to hide it from us." Odin offered Cami a hand getting back on her feet, and they walked to the table together. "If Cami hadn't found the book, it might have been a long time before Igus discovered it and even then, he probably would have returned the book to the library, thinking that Loki had thrown or kicked it in a fit of rage."

The king turned to the servant. "Thank you, Igus. You may go."

Igus bowed and left the room.

Cami leaned closer to look at the damaged pages as Thor flipped through them. Most of the book was written in a script that was difficult for her to read with all its flourishes. There were also pictures hand drawn into the book of nightmarish creatures and strange symbols.

"I remember this book," Odin said with a frown. "This was Loki's first shadow grimoire."

"It is a book of simple illusions," Thor said. "He's had it for years. What could we possibly learn from it?"

"Loki is a shadow wizard?" Cami asked for clarification.

"Perhaps not a full shadow mage, but yes, he is," Odin said.

"He isn't a blood wizard too, is he?"

"No. Are you suggesting he cursed himself?" Thor asked with a deep frown and edge to his voice.

"I'm really not suggesting anything," Cami said in her own defense. From the sudden tension in the air, she guessed that studying or using blood magic was a major no-no.

Odin said with a dismissive air, "I would know if he was studying blood magic."

"How often did you spend time with Loki here?" Cami asked Odin, though the question was relevant to Thor too.

"Not nearly enough," Odin replied with some regret. "I can't recall the last time."

"Loki hid from everyone in here when his mood was poor," Thor said. "We learned to leave him alone, like he wanted."

"Yet you're sure he wasn't studying blood magic." Cami looked at the bookshelves. "Has anyone else looked through his library?"

"No," both men said together.

"The queen and I will examine these volumes," Odin promised.

"What should we do with this one?" Thor gestured to the book in front of them.

"Take it to him. If the book contains information that Loki wants us to know, he will find a way to reveal it to Cami."

"And if it doesn't?"

"It is of no consequence. He knows these spells already and can't cast any of them now."

Odin headed for the door, leading them back to the entry and into the corridor. Cami still hadn't felt comfortable in the suite, so she was glad to be out of it.

With a final farewell to the king, Cami walked with Thor down to the palace stables where they met up with Sif and the Warriors Three, who had come to escort her to the bifrost. They rode out of Asgard together, across the spectacular rainbow bridge to an immense, golden dome with a towering spire.

"Behold Asgard's new bifrost," Fandral said with pride. "It is much bigger than its predecessor."

Cami stared at it, her eyes wide with amazement.

"Now if needed," Thor said, "we can move the entire army of Asgard on horseback if we wished."

A giant of a man dressed in gold armor with an intimidating helmet stepped out of the dome onto the bridge. He had a broad sword that was nearly as tall. Cami assumed this was Heimdall, the Gatekeeper of Asgard.

Cami leaned back against Thor. "Is he going to be angry with me?"

"Possibly," Thor said with an uneasy smile and swung down from the horse before helping her. The others dismounted too and Sif came over to give Cami her training staff and a small, corked jar of medicine to use on her remaining scars.

"I hope it won't be a long time until we see each other again," she told the group. "I'll miss you and know you would like to meet some of my friends too."

"We will be patient," Sif promised. "King Odin will know when it is time."

Cami handed out hugs, even managing to give one to the much more reserved Hogun before Thor led her over to the gatekeeper.

"So, this is Cami Barton, who was smuggled into our city," Heimdall said in a very deep and chilling voice. His harsh, golden eyes stared at Cami in apparent judgment.

"I didn't mean any harm," Cami said, feeling like she was ten years old again and standing in the principal's office. "I wasn't even awake when I arrived."

"That is true," Thor said. "My father brought her. She was not offered a choice."

Heimdall gave a simple nod, yet his large helmet exaggerated the gesture. "I will let her go in peace. Though, if she should find herself in Asgard again, I hope she will have the manners to present herself properly before the gatekeeper."

"I promise," Cami said, trying to smile despite the fact that he was still very big and looked so menacing.

Thor led her inside the dome, briefly explaining what she could expect from traveling through the bifrost. He helped her secure her jar of medicine in her pocket and had her grip the staff from Sif securely with both hands so she wouldn't drop it.

With Mjolnir in his right hand and Loki's grimoire in the other, Thor gave Heimdall the signal that they were ready, even though Cami didn't feel very ready at all.

They were essentially standing inside a gigantic machine with grinding gears and lightning jumping from the operating mechanism at the center to receptors on the inner walls of the dome. Cami could feel the energy in the air around her, small discharges of static that prickled her skin.

"Are you sure a human can endure this?" Cami asked suddenly, overwhelmed with uncertainty.

Thor, who stood a couple of feet from her, turned to say, "I will be at your side the whole time. Do not be afraid."

There was no time for further discussion. A wave of white light rushed at them, grabbing hold and snatching them right off their feet. It felt like every bone in Cami's body strained under the pull of this force as it dragged her through breathtaking and unimaginable views of space. Colors unlike any she'd seen whirred past; and she could not comprehend the changes around her before something new and more amazing took its place.

Cami felt the exact moment the pull ended. Her body flipped back, reacting to the loss and then everything went silent and still.

A touch on Cami's face woke her. She was on the ground with Thor leaning over her, his head blocking the midday sun.

"Are you alright?"

Cami pondered the question through her jolted senses. Her whole body seemed to be numb and groggy, waiting for a reset.

"You fainted," Thor explained.

Cami eyed the bits of vegetation she could see beyond where she lay. "We're in New Mexico?"

He nodded. "There are other bifrost sites on Midgard, but this one was still closest to your airboat. I planned to continue there from here, but I fear your body needs a chance to recover first. I will take you to Jane's."

They had barely landed outside the laboratory when a pretty young woman with long, dark brown hair and wide, expressive eyes came charging out the front door. "Thank the gods you're back," she said to Thor. "Jane has been a complete psycho since you left. You need to make up—or out—or whatever you do that puts that happy, dreamy face on her for days and days."

"Darcy, please calm down. This is Cami Barton," Thor said. "She is with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Oh, hey," Darcy said, her tone lacking enthusiasm. "Welcome to the ass crack of New Mexico."

Thor's smile strained as he told Cami, "This charming creature is Darcy Lewis. She is Jane's assistant."

Cami said hello and Darcy immediately turned to head back toward the building.

"I take it you and your girlfriend had a fight," Cami said.

Thor did not answer, but his uncomfortable expression was very telling.

Cami and Thor followed after Darcy only to meet up with a tall, older gentleman as they reached the door.

"Erik," Thor greeted the man, "it is good to see you."

"I was sad to hear I'd missed you before." The men embraced like best friends then Thor introduced Cami to Dr. Erik Selvig who added, "Ah, so you are the girl that Jane is so angry about."

Cami looked between the men with a confused frown. "Why is Doctor Foster angry with me? What did I do?" She hoped there hadn't been some miscommunication about which Prince of Asgard Cami had been kissing. Thor was cute and all, but nope, no way, wasn't going to happen.

"I told Jane a while ago that it was forbidden for humans to enter Asgard. Then my father let you go," Thor explained. "I was stupid enough to let her find out."

"Jane was understandably upset," Selvig said. "Plus, Thor's visits are so few and far between. I think it would help if you could stick around longer this time, Thor."

"I'm only here to take Cami back to her brother. Father expects me home."

Cami took the grimoire from Thor. "Whatever. I work for the largest spy network on the planet. I certainly can find my own ride home so you can do some damage control. You have to keep up with your girlfriend faction. It is very important business."

This mini-speech had both men stumped.

"Go see her," Cami ordered the Asgardian. "I'm sure your father will understand."

Erik showed Cami to the phone while Thor continued into the lab area. She didn't remember the phone number, so it took some operator assistance to weave her way through to S.H.I.E.L.D. "This is Trainee Camille Barton," she said to the first agency operator that she reached. "I need to request a pick up from Puente Antiguo, New Mexico."

"State your authentication code, Trainee Barton."

"Tango, five, five, seven, three."

"Please hold while your request is submitted for authorization."

At least five full minutes later, Clint came on the line. "Hey kiddo. You're back?"

"Yeah. I could really use a lift to the helicarrier. Thor has some issues here he needs to address. Also, I fainted coming through the bifrost. So, a supersonic flight across the country probably isn't what the doctor ordered."

"We don't have any aircraft in your area right now. Hill's attempting a mission shuffle so I can borrow the Streak. Either way, it's going to be hours. A driver will have to get you to meet up with me."

"That's okay. How's Loki?"

"Miserable."

"Oh no. What happened?"

Clint sighed. "Nothing and everything, if that makes any sense. I think he's going to be very happy to have you back. We all will."


	2. Chapter 2 - Surprise Reunion

**Chapter Two - Surprise Reunion**

* * *

Loki and Natasha left the gymnasium after a couple hours of practicing fight moves. Considering the intensity of the sparring session, during which they only mildly tried to kill each other, their moods were calm and not at all resentful. Loki felt quite productive and proud of himself as they strolled along. His mind was thinking ahead to the reward of a hot shower when Natasha froze mid-stride and put her hand up to her earpiece.

"This is Romanoff."

Loki stopped, waiting for her to explain the interruption in their walk back to the suite. She'd cleared her schedule for the training session today. If she was being sent on a mission at short notice, it had to be important.

"We'll pack and meet you up top," Natasha told whoever was on the other side of the comm then closed the line. When her gaze met his, Natasha offered a bit of a quirky grin. "Fury is sending us for S.T.A.V. training. We'll have one stop on the way then we get to play with some new vehicles. Come on. We've got to pull essentials together and meet Clint, Mike and the rest of the guys at the Streak."

Loki didn't know what a S.T.A.V. was, only that the idea of training with one had Black Widow excited. So, as soon as they boarded the 5-80 Streak and got strapped in with Dan Kotter, Gary Stott and Marcus Rodriguez, Loki accessed the network on his computer to find out for himself.

Specialized Terrain Assault Vehicles, or otherwise known as S.T.A.V.s were the latest and greatest S.H.I.E.L.D. creation for war zone deployment. These highly armored and maneuverable vehicles were designed to go where others couldn't in dangerous and inhospitable environments.

"Did anyone know this was happening today?" Stott asked the group.

"Nope. We've got an agent who needs a lift home," Mike Hopper explained from the cockpit doorway. "Fury saw this as an opportunity to get a group of us out here to train up on these new vehicles. He said the engineers have an upgrade package for the Streak too. So we brought her along."

"This is going to be a blast!" Kotter said with a whoop. "We must have done something right, boys." Marcus and Gary agreed, though they did shift uncertain glances at Loki as if to ask what he'd done to deserve this rare opportunity.

The flight time to the pickup was the longest leg of their trip. "We're only down for a few minutes to get our agent," Clint told the group after they'd landed at some undisclosed base in New Mexico. "Stretch your legs, but don't wander off."

Clint grabbed a pack from the storage compartment and waved for Loki to come with him as he disembarked. "Everyone else is thrilled, but you looked bored. At least try to act happy that you get to do something cool or the guys will think you're weird."

Loki shrugged. He just wasn't in the mood to care about appearances. He pointed at the pack Clint was toting.

Clint caught on to the unvoiced question. "I thought our new passenger might need a change of uniform. Should be waiting for us in the mess hall."

The base personnel got them pointed in the right direction. Though, security gave Loki some pretty confused looks over the official paperwork Clint presented them with all the pertinent information and signatures. Finally they found the small mess hall. Amongst the dark blue uniforms of the base personnel sat one woman in black with a long, complex style of braid that Loki realized he had only ever seen worn by the females in Asgard.

"Hey," Clint called jovially to those gathered, "has anyone seen my annoying little sister? She's like five foot four and talks _a lot_."

Cami jumped up, grabbed her stuff and ran toward them amid the group's laughter. "Thanks guys!" she called over her shoulder to those still seated. Then she launched herself into Clint's arms.

"Wow, I think you might have grown a little," Clint teased as their hug ended. "You look healthy and happy." He eyed the staff. "What's this?"

"It's my training staff," Cami said, handing it to him for inspection.

She sidestepped to Loki. "I promised your mom that I would give you a hug. Can I?"

Loki stood in a daze, hardly hearing a word she said as he took in her beautiful and energetic features. Since no one had come out and said who they were picking up, Loki had to assume it was Clint's intention to surprise him with this reunion. He let Cami step close and wrap her arms around him, softly squeezing against his front. He caught a familiar floral scent of the palace gardens in her hair before she pulled away and wished the embrace had lasted longer.

She held up her pack by the strap in front of him. "There's something in here we need to talk about, but we'll do that later."

Clint indicated the pack in his hand. "Do you need to change? We're heading on to do some training in Arizona."

Cami shook her head. "My uniform was clean when I put it on this morning. I can wait."

After a brief stop at the restrooms and a few minutes longer to collect their group back at the ship, they were underway. "How was Asgard?" Kotter asked Cami after they'd filled her in on the S.T.A.V. training.

"Beautiful and big."

In the seat beside Cami, Loki studied her expressions, enjoying her fervor as she described the finery of the palace and the grounds. He could tell that she really did enjoy her stay in the Realm Eternal, which made the torment of being without her all those days seem almost worth it to him.

"We heard you were in bad shape," Stott said. "Looks like they fixed you right up."

Cami smiled, but looked at Loki, uncertain what to say.

Natasha interjected, "Cami probably agreed to be discreet about some aspects of her visit to Asgard. Let's assume that she'll share what she is allowed."

Stott hadn't been fishing for detailed information it seemed as he agreed with Natasha's statement wholeheartedly.

When they arrived at the facility in Echo Point, the quartermaster of the guest barracks pulled Clint aside. "My paperwork says you are team leader over these agents, but Romanoff, Murphy and Miss Barton are not marked as members of the Hellhounds. Are there two teams?"

"Yes, actually."

Loki leaned against the wall, watching the scene. Cami and Natasha walked around the corner, and he gestured for them to come over.

"What's up?" Natasha asked.

"Just clearing up that we've got two teams here," Clint said. "We haven't chosen a name, remember?"

"Let me guess," Natasha said with a pout, "Fury made the distinction to force us to decide?"

Clint shrugged. "Maybe."

The quartermaster did not look amused. "So, what name am I putting down here for the second team?"

Cami suggested, "How about Mischief Makers?"

Clint exchanged a quick smile with Natasha. "I like it," he said and looked to Loki. "That work for you?"

Loki nodded. He liked it very much.

"Mischief Makers," Clint affirmed to the quartermaster giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Feel free to pass that along to H.Q. for us."

By the time Loki and his teammates dropped off their packs in their temporary accommodations, the Hellhounds had taken over the recreation room. They had an action film going on the television, played pool and pinball and had cracked open the beers in the mini-bar.

Clint pulled Cami in to watch the movie and whisper back and forth. Loki assumed the siblings spoke about him, which didn't bother him all that much. He'd been on pretty good behavior if they considered that he hadn't tried to injure anyone or worse in Cami's absence.

Loki decided that he preferred the quiet of the room he'd be sharing with Clint during this little adventure. He sat at the small table provided and typed away on his computer, working on a summary of the Clint and Natasha situation for Cami.

Thanks to Dr. Montoya's bump in his security clearance, he had looked up Natasha's birthday. Their timeline was down to twelve days. He doubted it would be enough time to do what he'd promised, but he was still formulating a plan beyond what he'd already been doing to trick Clint into paying more attention to Natasha.

Close to a half hour later Cami knocked on his door. Loki expected her before he answered it. So, of course, it pleased him to be right. She walked in as he stepped out of her way, carrying the pack she'd showed him earlier.

"I've been told that you aren't socializing with the crew very well," Cami said, turning to look at him as he shut the door. "Clint says you hardly leave the suite if they don't make you." She sounded concerned rather than disappointed in him.

Loki took her chin in his hand, turning her head from side to side and leaning a bit so he could admire the braid.

"Your mom did it for me."

He expected as much. He heard it all the time growing up, how Frigga wanted a girl to round out the family. To the best of Loki's knowledge, Odin had never made her any promises.

"You've been working?" Cami asked, gesturing to his computer.

Loki offered her the chair so she could read through what he'd written.

She handed him the pack instead, saying, "I need to know if what's in here is important. We found it hidden under your bed in Asgard." Cami took the seat at the table, yet waited for his reaction before giving the computer any further attention.

He unzipped the pack. He recognized the book inside as the one he'd left open as a clue for Thor. The old volume had been in his private collection since the beginning, and he memorized every word and picture ages ago.

Loki wished he could tell her everything, but as he tried to think of a way to confirm the book's importance, he felt the strain of the curse edging in on his motor functions to halt any helpful action he attempted. The mere thought of offering her a smile froze his facial muscles. He couldn't hug her if his arms wouldn't move. Wanting to hold the book tighter, might cause him to drop it.

Cami studied him, seeming to know and understand his struggle. "We thought so," she said and took the book and pack from him, placing them on the table beside the computer. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

Loki's body eased up. He dropped onto the nearest twin-sized bed and tried to console himself with the knowledge that Cami was smart, determined and on his side.

After a minute of reading his entry on the computer, Cami started laughing. "You've been messing up Natasha's bathroom stuff? I'm shocked they never caught you."

Loki offered a look of levity. The task wasn't as difficult as she seemed to believe. With enough observation and a good sense of timing, anyone could be caught off their guard or avoided.

"Your notes basically point to Clint being the problem," Cami continued. "I can't get Natasha to admit she likes him even a little bit that way. Are you sure?"

He sat up and gave her a shrug. Of course he wasn't certain of anything.

Cami finished reading. "You wrote that you got an idea from Dr. Montoya and eidetic memory, but you ended there. Explain it for me." She chose to move to the bed, letting him have the computer while she got situated at his side, also using the wall as a backrest.

[Eidetic memory records the moments of every day through the person's senses. I think we should attempt to bombard Clint's senses with Natasha.]

Cami looked confused. "So, we find ways to make him see, hear, smell, touch and taste Natasha?"

[Essentially. If the impression is strong enough, it will stick in his memory.]

Cami seemed to understand. "And he'll probably start thinking about her all the time."

_That's my clever girl_, he thought and praised her with a smile. [That is my hope. We don't have much time left.]

"Yeah. My recovery in Asgard put a kink in things." Cami rested her head on his arm. "Now we're here for a few days." Her tone saddened. "I would love to spend the night in the new suite. Those beds are big with room to stretch out."

[How long did you stay in the healing room?]

"I was out having fun after a few days, but I slept there every night."

Loki felt exasperation at this news. He typed with extra firmness, [That's ridiculous. There are plenty of beds in the palace. They could have at least put you up in my rooms.]

"It's okay." Cami chuckled at his dramatic change in mood. "They actually tried that, and I wouldn't do it. I wanted to respect your privacy or something. You weren't there to say it was alright. So I slept in the healing room. Big deal. Didn't kill me."

Loki listened to her explanation, admired the gleam of amusement mixed with embarrassment in her eyes, felt the warmth of her arm resting against his, smelled the floral scents in her hair and decided he needed to taste her sweet mouth right then.

Cami jumped as he lunged in and pressed his lips against hers. This thrilled Loki as he liked the element of surprise. He skipped being gentle, wanting to feed a strong hunger within him to claim every inch of her mouth as his own. She'd recovered and was responding to him by the time his tongue pushed past her lips to caress the front of her teeth. She allowed him in, only to teasingly purse her lips around his tongue and slowly pull back until he was out again.

He wasn't going to let her escape so easily. He snatched Cami up and pulled her into his lap. If she hadn't been giggling, he would have worried about being too forward, but she settled into his embrace, attacking his mouth when he leaned in again.

It was a frenzied tongue war at the start that eventually broke into a truce of gasping breaths and laughter when it became clear that neither of them was going to get the upper hand. Then they calmed, resorting to softer kisses that tended to wander across warm flesh, tickling ears and sensitive necks.

Cami whispered, "I wish you could have been there to show me Asgard."

Though Loki was touched by the sentiment, the fact remained that he was banished from Asgard. Short of Odin having a dramatic change of heart, there was no hope of him returning within his now shortened, mortal lifetime.

Loki gently kissed, licked and then bit her ear, causing Cami to startle and give a little yip. He offered a playful smile as she feigned anger, struck his chest with the back of her hand and demanded, "Be nice."

He smirked at this reaction. He had to test her if he was going to learn the boundaries and figure out how far he could push them. Sliding his hand down the outside of her thigh, he cupped and kneaded her butt through her pants, which Cami took as a prompt to go after his mouth again.

Then the door opened and Clint stepped in. "I thought I might find you two in here," he said, looking more uncertain than threatening as his eyes didn't stay on them more than a moment.

Cami slipped off Loki's lap and onto her feet, stepping forward to meet Clint's gaze. "Then you should have knocked," she said in a tone that softly chastised, yet seemed to forgive him too.

"Yeah, well, maybe you could have locked the door," Clint countered, seeming to hold his own in the embarrassment department.

Flexing her attitude a bit, Cami responded, "And have you kick it down? I don't think so, Bro."

Cami returned to Loki who'd moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She leaned over to give him a quick peck on the mouth. Then she grabbed the grimoire and pack before leaving the room.

Loki remained on the bed, staring at the floor and waiting for Clint to say or do something. Even with their time spent together at the range bonding, as Natasha called it, Clint was still going to be the protective brother first and foremost.

Clint crossed to the opposite bed and took a seat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His expression was difficult for Loki to read so he didn't study it for long.

"You know, it's actually really intimidating to start a conversation with you when I'm pretty sure you're not going to bother to respond."

Loki found this small confession to be quite revealing. Clint wasn't the type of man to be easily intimidated by anything. He thought it best to just let Clint speak his peace.

"I'm not going to say you aren't allowed some happiness of your own, Loki. It's just—she's my sister; and she's had it rough."

There was a long silence with a lot of uncomfortable staring.

Clint rubbed at his forehead and eyes, taking a deep breath before adding, "I don't want to be a dick about this. Do me a favor and take things really slow. Okay?"

Slow was such a loose term, open to interpretation and often defined by comparison. Loki didn't want to make such a promise based on someone else's expectations of what it meant. He would pursue Cami in the manner he saw fit, taking into consideration only her feelings on the matter.

Since Clint was likely to stay there waiting for a response, Loki collected his computer and vacated the room. He decided that he'd rather brave the noisy brood in the rec room until time for bed. _Let Clint interpret a response from that_, Loki thought.


	3. Chapter 3 - STAV Training

**Chapter Three - S.T.A.V. Training**

* * *

Clint brooded in his room for a bit since there were no pressing matters for him to attend. He hadn't been that surprised by Loki's reaction to his request. Loki only recognized Clint's authority as his supervisor when it suited him. Why would he give his big-brother status any more weight or consideration?

The quartermaster stepped into the open doorway. He held out a cell phone to Clint. "There is a call for you, Agent Barton."

Clint took the phone, thanking him. He chose to shut the door as the quartermaster departed. "Barton."

"Did we get everyone settled in?" asked the familiar voice of Director Fury.

Since it sounded like Nick was in a good mood, Clint joked, "I haven't gotten around to the bedtime stories yet, Sir," which succeeded in eliciting a soft chuckle from his boss.

"That conversation we had before you left—I've changed my mind. Let Cami drive."

"Why the sudden change? She's only a trainee."

"Technically, so is Loki. Hill pointed out that the college listed street racing among their infractions against your sister. I have this funny feeling that this might be one area where you two are more alike than different."

"She hasn't done any driving since she came to the helicarrier," Clint reminded him. "I really have no idea how good she is."

"The mechanics just completed repairs on the eighth car. So, I say we find out what she can do."

"Okay. I'll let her know." Clint got off the call and left the room. The girls' room was next to his. Clint decided to check there first. The door stood open, showing Cami stretched out on one of the beds, thumbing through an old book. There was no one else currently in the room. Clint stepped in. "Hey, I need to talk to you."

Cami peeked up from the book. "I really don't want to talk about me and Loki right now."

"No, this isn't about that," Clint assured her. He pulled over the available chair and sat facing the bed. He held up the cell phone still clenched in his hand. "I just got off a call with the director."

Cami closed the book and sat up. "Bad news?"

"I told you earlier that you could hang out, catch up on your studying and stuff while we were in training. Well, Nick has a different idea."

"Is he calling me back to classes?"

"No, actually—he wants you in class with me tomorrow. Seems you were into street racing at school and never told me."

"I get to drive?!" Suddenly she was grinning ear to ear.

Her enthusiasm made Clint chuckle. "Well, it was a direct order. So, yeah, you get to drive."

Letting out a high pitched squeal, Cami jumped up to give him a strong, quick hug. "I've got to find Loki," she said and dashed for the door.

"Try the rec room!" he called after her.

Clint sat in silence for awhile, trying to let Cami's good mood infect him too. Contrary to what his sister thought, he really didn't like being gruff and grumpy all the time.

"What's your problem with Loki dating Cami?" Natasha asked from behind him.

_There goes the good mood_, he thought. Nat was here to bust his balls again. "Didn't think I would have to explain this to you, of all people," he answered in a measured tone in the hopes of keeping the mood light.

Natasha came around to take the spot on the bed that Cami had vacated. "I thought we'd established that this isn't the same Loki from before."

Clint explained, "I didn't tell him to back off. I asked if he could take it slow."

"Why? They are consenting adults."

"Who both have a tendency to make bad choices," he insisted.

"And who are you to talk? We were both bad guys before joining S.H.I.E.L.D."

He growled. "God, I saw that coming."

"Then you shouldn't have stepped right into it," Natasha chided. "We both understand how important it is to have someone you can always count on. If you keep treating her like a little kid, Cami will not look to you to be that person."

Clint's jaw clenched as he mulled over her words. He'd been trying to find the right balance when dealing with his sister for months. Why did it seem that he was always wrong and Natasha was a fount of parenting knowledge?

The book Cami had been looking at drew Clint's attention and he reached out to pick it up. He examined the dark leather cover and flipped through the pages, noticing that some had been torn and bent. He didn't know exactly what this book was, but he could guess from its odd writing and pictures that it probably came back with Cami from Asgard.

"Cami tell you anything about this?"

"It's Loki's. I think she said it was his first book of illusions. Something to do with shadow magic," Natasha said with a slight shrug. "She thinks there is something important in it."

"It's creepy," Clint said. "Do you think I should worry about her having this?"

"King Odin sent it with her. I doubt he'd entrust her with dangerous magical contraband."

"Good point," Clint agreed. He dropped the book back on the foot of the bed.

"Shall we join the others for a movie? Rodriguez started the first of those super-long fantasy films with the elves and ogres."

"Actually, they're orcs," Clint corrected her gently, knowing full well that Marcus shared his interest in Tolkien Lore. "Sure. I wouldn't mind the distraction."

The couple walked down to the rec room in time to get some fresh bowls of popcorn and decent seats in front of the large screen television. Surrounded by friends and sharing in a fun activity, Clint wasn't as agitated as he could have been that Cami had parked herself in Loki's lap, leaning back into his embrace and feeding him popcorn. They looked happy. He didn't want to ruin that for them, but some vague warning whispered in the back of his mind that he should keep an eye on their relationship.

* * *

The next morning the Mischief Makers beat their Hellhound counterparts to breakfast. "A few too many beers last night, huh guys?" Cami teased Mike Hopper and Marcus Rodriguez when they finally joined them at the long table.

Hopper yawned and buried his face in his hands. "I hate sharing quarters. Kotter was up most of the night, looking over the S.T.A.V. plans. Now he doesn't even seem tired."

On cue, Dan Kotter and Gary Stott walked in, making their way over to the group. "It feels like Christmas morning!" Kotter said with a wide grin and bright eyes. He looked up and down the table. "Oh, come on. Someone show some enthusiasm."

Cami flashed him a smile to show she was thrilled at least.

"Dan, we're gonna be in class all day," Clint pointed out. "I seriously doubt we'll even get to touch a vehicle before tomorrow."

"Oh Clint," Natasha said, giving his arm a light slap, "don't squelch his excitement. If it was a new rifle or bow, you'd be acting the exact same way."

Their class on the vehicles' systems did last all day long and into the early evening with only short food and bathroom breaks. Reading the official operator's manual wasn't required, yet Loki jumped at the chance when Natasha mentioned it to him. So, he shifted his attention between the manual, presentation and Cami, who was absolutely fascinated and unusually motivated to focus.

"It's just a big gadget on wheels," Clint joked in reference to Cami's lack of attention-deficit-disorder-like behavior. "Right up your alley."

"Wasn't it convenient that they started by telling us how much each vehicle costs to build and maintain?" Natasha said with a tired sigh as they exited the classroom at the end of the day.

Clint said, "It's just their way of making a point. Everyone eventually breaks or crashes something expensive in our line of work."

"Oh great," Cami said with concern. "We don't have to pay for damages, do we?"

"No, not usually," Natasha said. "Your brother never could have afforded your private schooling if S.H.I.E.L.D. had that policy."

"Thanks, Nat," Clint said stiffly, his eyes narrowing with offense. "Now she'll think I'm reckless."

"That's not what I meant," Natasha emphasized. She smiled at Cami. "He's just so gung ho sometimes that luck can't keep up with him."

There was a lot of technical talk around the table during dinner, which was actually helpful for Cami as she got to hear some of the day's presentation reduced to layman's terms by her peers and had a chance to ask a few questions.

Afterwards, she and Loki took a long walk through the facility while Cami rattled off every interaction she'd noticed between Clint and Natasha throughout the day. "If we can keep them together nearly all the time, we're good for covering most of the senses," Cami said, "but I really have no idea how we're going to get Clint to taste Natasha. I mean—it just sounds naughty."

Loki stopped in his tracks, gave her a roguish smile then pulled her close for a kiss, which escalated in moments to some serious tongue action. Then, to save himself the strain of leaning down so far, he hooked Cami behind the legs, lifting her up and backing her against the corridor wall as he delivered eager kisses to her sensitive neck.

"We are so out in the open," Cami said, wrapping her legs around him. She slid her hands up his shoulders to circle his neck and play in his hair, which she realized totally contradicted the cautionary tone of her words. "Someone is going to see us."

Loki didn't seem the least bit concerned; and his adamant attentions made it increasingly hard for Cami to keep caring. Drawn in by Loki's kisses, she had no reference for the time that passed before Agent Kotter came across them.

"Hey guys!" he called out, causing Cami to promptly break the kiss. Kotter picked up his pace to meet up with them, pretty much forcing Loki to ease Cami back to the ground before further embarrassment caused her to wiggle out of his grasp.

Seemingly oblivious to the scene he'd interrupted, Kotter asked them excitedly, "You want a peek in the garage area? I found one of the test drivers willing to get a small group of us in past security."

Despite his irritation, Loki also looked intrigued, but waited for Cami to give her own opinion of the offer.

"You sure you don't want to go get your buddies?" Cami asked. It seemed overly generous for Kotter to be offering this opportunity to two trainees.

"Nah," Kotter said. "They're all hanging out in the rec room together. I promised Tripp I wouldn't bring too many people."

Apparently the thought of going by himself either hadn't occurred to him or wasn't as appealing.

"Okay. We're in."

Kotter led them toward the north end of the facility where they met up with a guy named Jamie Tripp who had been test driving S.T.A.V.s for the last few months. Tripp walked them through security and out to the garage where there were eight vehicles all lined up and looking impressive.

"Check 'em out!" Kotter crossed to the nearest one to inspect it as he rattled off stats and features to Cami and Loki. Apparently he knew all about the special suspension system, frame and tire design among a million other things that their class had barely mentioned.

To Cami the S.T.A.V. looked kind of like a futuristic formula race car on raised wheels with an enclosed and elongated cockpit for two riders and enhanced with every techno gadget a geek could dream up.

Tripp opened the cockpit so they could get a closer look at the systems as he and Kotter named them off. "Voice command recognition is one of the newest features," Tripp told them. "It's really useful, but at the same time, it can be a little buggy. So, I don't use it for complex maneuvers."

"Lok—I mean, Thomas," Kotter corrected himself, "wouldn't get any use out of that anyway. He's one of them strong, silent type guys."

Tripp smiled, seeming to know this already. "Yeah, Mr. Stark mentioned that one of the team members wasn't a talker."

Cami's gaze shifted up from the car to Tripp. "Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, he's been the design consultant on this project for months. Every change they make has to be approved by him."

"If Stark is involved, how come they haven't fixed the buggy voice command software yet?" Cami asked. "That sounds very un-Stark-like."

"Well, short stuff," the familiar voice of Tony Stark said from across the garage, "I have been giving the matter a great deal of my attention the last couple of days." The billionaire came walking up, dressed in a pair of filthy coveralls. From his disheveled appearance and the various tools he carried on his belt, he'd probably been working around the garage for hours.

Tripp grimaced with a classic busted-doing-something-bad look. "Hey, Mr. Stark, I didn't realize you were on site," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Well, I get a little overprotective. I decided it was a good idea to be here since Fury finally sent some agents over to train."

Tripp explained, "Agent Kotter is a huge fan of your design."

"Well, he should be," Stark said with a cocky smile, stepping up to shake Kotter's hand. "I design really cool stuff." Then he mussed Cami's hair and nodded in greeting to Loki. When Jamie mentioned that he had some reports to do, Tony offered to take over the show-and-tell for the group, which it turns out wasn't his intention at all. "You guys been doing that long?" Tony asked right after Tripp stepped away. He pointed out that Loki's arm was around Cami's waist, a fact that had actually escaped her attention until that moment.

"No," Cami said boldly. "It's a new thing we're trying out."

"You are braver than me," Kotter said to Loki, who didn't look the least bit intimidated by whatever threat Kotter eluded to.

"Her brother is a definite deterrent," Tony agreed with Kotter, "but I hear Clint has taken Loki under his wing. He's in a good position to pull this off."

Cami felt a frown creeping into her facial muscles, though Loki just looked amused. "What we do is no one else's business."

"Of course," Tony agreed, the coyness not quite leaving his demeanor. "I just thought you'd be a little slower hooking up."

By the latest definition Cami had heard, hooking up meant having sex. "We have not hooked up," Cami said with exasperation to Stark, though her gaze shifted to Kotter for a moment as well. There was an urge building within her to make too big of a deal out of their interest. She tried to stay calm. "Come on guys. We don't sit around trivializing your relationship with Pepper," she said to Tony. Then to Kotter she added, "Or your lack of long-term commitment to anyone at all."

"Hey, don't bring me into this," Kotter said. "I was just saying that the smart guys consider you and Romanoff completely off limits for fear that Clint will snipe their asses."

"I'm happy for you, really," Tony said to Cami and Loki. He made a shooing gesture at them. "Now run along so I can get some work done. Maybe we'll have voice commands back online before you guys hit the track."

The trio walked out of the restricted area and didn't run into any of their teammates until they reached the rec room. "There you are," Hopper said as they entered. "Where have you guys been?"

Cami said, "We were in the garage poking around the S.T.A.V.s with Mr. Stark. He's awfully proud of them."

That got everyone's attention and Kotter took center stage to start rambling off details while the others asked questions. Their looks were envious as he told them about seeing the vehicles up close.

With everyone distracted by Kotter, Loki tried to lead Cami away, but she resisted. "It's time to socialize," she whispered. "You need to make friends and these guys carry a lot of weight around the helicarrier."

Loki gave her a pained, pleading look.

"Sorry," she said, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, "but we can't get Clint's mind on Natasha if he's wondering where we've run off to every other second." Loki was not happy; and Cami really did feel bad forcing him into this position, but she knew he would give in, even if only for her. "I'll make it up to you," she promised and dragged him over to join in the activities.

Eight shiny silver vehicles were pulled out of the garage when the Hellhounds and Mischief Makers met Stark and the test drivers out there the next morning. "Since we've got two teams and it's probably not a good idea to have all eight cars on the track to start, let's have the Hellhounds drive first," Tripp suggested, "while the Mischief Makers ride along."

Stark agreed, his attention on the equipment he would be using to monitor the vehicles.

"Did you get the voice commands working?" Cami asked Tony.

"Of course," Tony said, like there wasn't ever a doubt that the problem would be discovered and fixed.

Once they'd all partnered up with someone from the other team, they got in the cars and hit the track, which was best described as an obstacle course really. Early on they could tell that Clint, Kotter and Hopper were the best drivers. Cami did get an honorable mention from the group when she executed a super sweet drift around a difficult corner.

They were all acting quite serious and safe at the start of the day, but by the end as everyone's confidence grew, maturity and common sense dropped off. By then, all eight vehicles were out on the track and everyone was racing and showing off. Even Loki cracked a few smiles.

"You've really outdone yourself, Stark," Natasha complemented Tony as they pulled the cars into the garage for the night. "That was amazing."

Clint and the other Hellhounds each took a turn praising Stark's genius too, like his ego needed more inflating.

"Think you've had fun today," Tony said, his tone eager, "just wait until we go over the weapons systems tomorrow."

"What did you think, Cami?" Clint asked across the giddy group. "You seemed to be having a fairly good time today."

"I think a certain billionaire friend of mine really wants to get me one of those for my own," she teased, flashing Stark a winning, playful smile as she leaned close and batted her eyes at him in a beseeching manner. Tony only laughed and shook his head at her. He wasn't making any such promise.


	4. Chapter 4 - Double Trouble

**Chapter Four - Double Trouble**

* * *

Loki woke from a calm, contented dream, the first he'd had in years, to the disappointing reality that Cami was not in his arms, the bed or even in the same room. He was very aroused and relishing the last of the images of her before they dimmed and departed his conscious mind.

The digital clock read a couple minutes after five. They were scheduled to fly back to the helicarrier after breakfast; and Clint and Natasha had already been making plans on how to tackle the responsibilities that awaited their return. Loki weighed his options for a few moments then decided to get up. He left the bedroom and walked barefoot to the community showers, which were empty, as he suspected. Stripping out of his sleepwear, Loki stepped into a stall and turned the taps on, letting the freezing water help shock him more awake and further subdue his arousal.

As the water transitioned to warm and hot, Loki thought over the last few days. Though he regretted the lack of private time with Cami, he had enjoyed some aspects of his experiences here in the land of Arizona. Driving the new vehicles had been enjoyable and challenging. Plus, spending time with the extended group had become less agitating as he came to better understand each of them and their motivations. It also helped that they had accepted him as an equal in their activities despite everything that should have biased their willingness to interact with him.

Loki felt that it was going to be difficult to focus on his field training if he didn't get some alone time with Cami soon. In her eagerness to include him in the group dynamic, she'd denied him the interaction he craved the most. It had been her promised companionship that lulled him into all this S.H.I.E.L.D. business in the first place.

His thoughts once again on Cami and the lustful activities he planned for her, Loki's arousal heightened again, making him sigh with frustration and reach for the taps to lower the shower's temperature.

The curtain unexpectedly opened and Loki turned his head just as a strong hand grabbed him around the throat. He looked into the piercing green eyes embedded in features that mirrored his own and tried to fight back, only to have black, shadowy tendrils materialize from his attacker's body to bind his hands and yank him out of the stall. He fell to the cold, hard tile, yet managed to get onto his knees before the tendrils wrapped his arms against his sides and bound his feet.

"Did you miss me?" the black-clad intruder asked in that smug tone that Loki had grown to loathe. He'd not realized or cared in the past how incredibly vexatious his own voice could be to others. "Can I take that as a yes?" the other Loki further asked, eying his erection with amusement. "You were always quite in love with yourself, weren't you?"

He stiffened as the other Loki stepped forward, feeling the undeniable fear that came with the uncertainty of being at the mercy of a madman. Somehow, it wasn't comforting to know that his life would be spared, no matter what atrocities befell him.

"Oh, don't look so downtrodden," the other Loki said, using a simple spell to pull a blood blade from an inter-dimensional space. His expression didn't convey any of the mock sympathy he offered. "Jahla needs a bit more of your blood for my next enhancement. So, of course, I had to stop by. You don't mind, do you?"

_You won't goad me into talking this time_, Loki thought bitterly. _You're too dull to even change your tactics._

The other Loki crouched down in front of him, studying his scarred body with interest. "You've really made a mess of yourself," he said with an air of disapproval. He shook his head, yet the hints of a cocky smile remained on his lips. "Thanks for leaving all that blood behind, by the way. Jahla put every drop to good use."

_Attempted murder/suicide is messy_, Loki thought coldly. _If only Father hadn't stepped in..._

"Oh, just say it. I can practically glean the words off your mind. Won't it feel good to get all those pesky feelings off your chest and out in the open?"

_Ugh! The talking beforehand is the worst. Shut up and do it already. I'll take that blade to the sound of your voice anytime._

"I can tell you're reluctant. Maybe we should talk about—the girl." Loki cringed before he could stop himself, causing the double to grin appreciatively. "There it is now, the true cause of your excitement this morning. She is a pretty little thing with a few surprises, I'd imagine. She must be such a kind-hearted soul to not be utterly repulsed by these scars. Shall I threaten her then? Will that loosen your tongue? Or do you really want me to draw the blood myself? I could get a little too enthusiastic."

The bound Loki shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, his mind full of wishes and his soul with dread. Thoughts of Cami ever being at this man's mercy made his heart seize and the immediate, burning pain in his chest was excruciating.

He felt the blade's tip touch his forehead.

"Perhaps I'll start on these areas where Jahla's curse won't go. I'm not as vain as you and the loss of an eye would put you in excellent company, wouldn't it?"

"Drop the knife," an authoritative voice ordered; and both Lokis looked to see a pajama-clad Clint standing in the doorway of the showers with his prized Heckler & Koch P30 sidearm aimed and ready to fire.

The double's features brightened with a wide smile. "Agent Barton, what an unexpected pleasure."

"I said drop it." Clint's narrowed eyes and tense jaw showed the feeling was not mutual.

The other Loki released the blade, which fell a few inches from his hand and into another inter-dimensional space that opened and closed instantly. "Are you sure you want to get involved in this?" he asked, slowly rising to a standing position. "I'm not quite the same as when we parted last. This is an entirely new game with much more powerful tricks."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Clint said coolly, "but he's my responsibility. I won't stand by and let you hurt him."

While Loki appreciated the gesture, he could foresee how this was going to end and the devastating impact it would have on S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers and his dear Cami. "Wait! Don't kill him," he begged just as a long tendril whipped out of the other Loki's body, striking Clint in the chest and sending him crashing to the floor.

A stretching sensation struck between Loki's shoulder blades then shot searing pain through him as the flesh tore. He muffled the scream the best he could, not wanting anyone else to come running right into the other Loki's path. Warm blood ran down his back as he stared at Clint's unmoving form.

"Pity you didn't cooperate sooner," his tormentor said, feigning sadness. "Bet this won't gain you any favors from your sexy sprite."

Loki shuddered and nearly vomited under the physical and emotional pain that overtook him. He futilely pulled at his bindings. His stare glued to Clint, praying there would be time to do something.

Once again drawing his blood blade, the other Loki circled round to press the metal against the wound as he had done many times before. The blade took only seconds to collect the blood, but the moments felt torturously long. Then he said amicably, as if they were the best of friends sharing advice, "Do try to stay out of trouble. If you let anything happen to us, Jahla will unleash bloody terror upon your new friends, starting with the girl."

Loki did not look directly at him. He just waited for the sound of his boots to cross the tiled floor and disappear into the shadows beyond his view. In the next moment the binding tendrils dissolved away; and Loki lunged for Clint, putting his ear to his chest, which he discovered did not rise and fall against the side of his face. He also didn't hear a heartbeat.

Loki ran for the hallway, grabbing a towel off the stack in passing to cover up with. Around the corner he found the fire alarm and pulled it, sending a terrible buzzing ruckus throughout the facility. Then he returned to Clint and started CPR. (He'd taken the time to read up on the crude, Midgardian technique only because there was a directive which mandated that all S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel learn how to administer it.)

Their whole barracks converged on him at once. The agents jumped into action once they interpreted the real situation. Natasha dropped to her knees beside them to take over giving Clint breaths of air while Loki continued compressions. The Hellhounds rushed off to retrieve a gurney, med kit with adrenaline and atropine, and the emergency defibrillator.

Stark arrived in his Iron Man suit, demanding to know what had happened. When no one could provide answers for him, he pulled the hysterical Cami out of the way of the arriving gurney and opened a channel. "Commander Morris, we have injured men in the barracks area," Tony reported. "Lock down the facility and start an active search for intruders." Then his next orders were to JARVIS about monitoring security cameras, which he issued on his way out to search the grounds.

Loki stopped the chest compressions so they could shift Clint to the gurney. Then Hopper jumped on the gurney too, straddled Clint and restarted compressions and breathing as Stott and Natasha pushed them down the hall in the direction of the infirmary.

* * *

Cami stood with her back in the corner as Tony had left her. She was shaking, yet her hysterics had quieted to more like confused mutterings. Dan Kotter stepped closer as the others moved Clint away on the gurney. He leaned down to capture her attention and study her expression.

"Cami, can you walk?" he asked, having to raise his voice to be heard over the fire alarm.

"Loki...?"

"Loki's pulling on some clothes; then we're going to follow the others to the infirmary. We've got to stick together for safety until we find out what is happening." Dan checked both hallways before moving to look into the showers and retrieve Clint's gun from where it had dropped on the floor. "Loki, you're bleeding pretty bad," he said with concern through the doorway. "Are you going to be alright? 'Cause I think Cami might faint on us."

The words _bleeding_ and _faint_ seemed to echo in Cami's mind. "Is this a dream?" she asked as Loki came around the corner bare-chested, but wearing his sleep-pants. The world around was starting to look fuzzy. An ominous haze outlined both guys further confusing her.

"Go ahead and think that if you want," Kotter said gently.

Loki put Cami's arm around his neck and picked her up so they could move more quickly to catch up with the others. En route, the fire alarm shut off, though the red warning lights remained on.

The doctor was injecting adrenaline into Clint's system when Loki carried Cami into the infirmary. Clint's shirt had been sliced open so they could apply the leads to monitor his heart. "Come on, Clint," Hopper kept saying as he continued compressions. There was an edge to his voice and anger in his eyes.

Kotter pulled Stott and Rodriguez out into the hall to free up space in the small infirmary. The one wall was mostly windows, so they could still see into the room.

Natasha stood off to the side with her arms crossed in front of her. Her expression was cold and withdrawn, which Cami understood was a defensive response to the situation, but frankly it angered her after all Clint and Natasha had been through together.

As soon as Loki put her down, Cami reached over and grabbed Natasha's arm. "Nat, you have to talk to him! Clint always listens to you."

Natasha's attention shifted to Cami. Her cool facade cracked and some color rushed into her pale features as she came to her senses. Together they stepped up to the gurney, near Clint's head. Natasha took Clint's hand in hers then leaned down, touching her forehead to his temple and started speaking softly to him in private whispers meant for no one else's ears.

There wasn't much room left with all that was going on. Cami moved around Natasha and the nurse, who was giving him air through a mask with an attached bag. Once on the other side, she purposely crowded out the doctor who was only staring gravely at the monitor anyway.

Cami touched Clint's shoulder, giving it a strong squeeze. There was blood on her hand and arm from coming in contact with Loki's wound when he carried her. The doctor noticed and glanced up long enough to determine that Cami wasn't injured, then moved away to prepare a second shot of adrenaline.

Cami leaned closer to Clint, tears starting in her eyes. "I don't want to be alone," she told him, admitting her biggest fear and not caring who else heard. Her voice was dense with emotion, almost catching in her tightening throat as she said, "I can't do this without you, Clint. I promise to be so good. Please, just come back to me."

"Jesus!" Hopper yelped, pulling back his hands as a dark, ghostly form like a snake rose up out of Clint's chest and turned toward Cami with shining silver eyes. She jumped away with a startled scream, causing it to hiss then escape back into Clint's chest.

Natasha exclaimed, "What the hell was that?!" She'd retreated a step, but still gripped Clint's hand.

Loki nudged the stunned doctor out of his way, moving to the gurney with a determined, knowing expression. He looked over to Cami and held out his hand beckoning her to move closer.

Cami didn't want to move, feeling freaked on top of all the other volatile emotions churning inside her, but Loki's look was urgent. If he knew what to do about that thing inside her brother's body, how could she not comply? Plus, he was actually asking for her help. That meant something.

She stepped into Loki's reach, letting him draw her in front of him, facing the gurney. He wrapped his right arm around her middle then purposely wiped his left hand across his back to collect some of his blood. He smeared the warm blood on Cami's hand, making her cringe, then held her hand out over Clint's chest.

Cami shook within Loki's grasp, taking in tiny breaths of air while the tension in the room grew. Kotter, Stott and Rodriguez all watched with wide eyes and bewildered expressions through the windows. The doctor and the nurse had stepped back as far as they could without leaving the room.

"This doesn't seem safe," Hopper decided.

"Clint would not approve of this," Natasha emphasized. "You'd better know what you're doing, Loki."

"What do I do?" Cami whispered over her shoulder to Loki just in case they were supposed to be sneaking up on it.

"Say it again," Natasha said to Cami, looking over her head to read Loki's expression.

_Say what?_ Cami puzzled. _That Clint is going to die and I'm going to be all alone?_

"Call it," Natasha said. "Get that thing to come out of him."

Her voice was shaking nearly as much as her body. "Come to me," Cami said, hearing the weakness in the words. When nothing happened after a long moment, Loki tightened his grip on her wrist. She took that to mean that she should keep trying. She tapped into the emotions stirring within her, believing that Clint didn't have a chance with that thing inside him. "Come to me!" she demanded. "Do as I say!"

The incorporeal snake-thing slithered forth with its glowing, silver eyes. In the bright lights of the infirmary, the snake-thing looked like a mixture of shadow, smoke and mist. It stretched upward toward their hands, and when Cami tried to pull away again, Loki held her firmly in place. The serpent grazed her trembling fingers with the top of its head, which made the digits feel like she'd stuck them out the window on a subzero winter's day.

Another squeeze from Loki gave her courage.

"Come on out," Cami said to it. "Leave him."

It continued up the side of her hand, climbing and coiling around both hers and Loki's arms until finally its tail emerged from Clint's chest. By then, Cami's arm felt numb and cold up to her elbow, which is approximately how far up her arm the snake-thing's head had reached. Its body looked to be almost two feet long and thin like a common garter snake.

Loki backed up, pulling Cami with him as they carried the weightless shadow serpent away from the group and into the far corner of the room. It appeared content, not hissing or making any motion to strike either of them.

"Go, Hopper!" Natasha urged before giving Clint some breaths.

Visibly shaken, Hopper started the chest compressions again, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the snake-thing.

At least a minute had passed when the monitor beeped, announcing that Clint's heart had started beating. The doctor rushed forward to inject Clint with a drug to bolster his heart rate. Natasha continued to give him breaths because he wasn't yet drawing in air on his own and the nurse looked unwilling to come any closer to their unusual visitor.

Stark entered the infirmary and took in the scene. "What the hell? Someone quickly catch me up on what I missed."

Stepping down from the gurney, Hopper told Tony, "That thing was inside of Clint's chest. It seems to be drawn to blood, but it's following commands from Cami. They were able to lure it out of Clint so we could get his heart going again."

Tony listened, taking in the heart monitor and Natasha's efforts before nodding. He was contemplating the situation, looking uncertain.

"This thing is really cold," Cami said, shivering in her thin pajamas.

"Is it dangerous?" Tony asked Loki.

With Loki still behind her, Cami had to look up and back to see him nod his head.

_Then why did you get me involved in this?_ Cami thought, wondering if she should be upset that he seemed to disregard her safety or proud that he hadn't let his personal feelings cloud his judgment.

Loki's answer did not please Tony. "It looks magical. Can we kill it?"

This time Loki shook his head. He released Cami's middle, pulling his right arm behind his back to collect more of the blood. Then he cautiously reached out for the shadow serpent, which started to hiss and draw back from him, showing four small fangs instead of the expected two.

"Careful," Tony advised.

Cami didn't know what else to do than try to continue to help Loki. "It's okay," she cooed at the snake, silencing when fear crept back into her voice.

Natasha had stopped giving the breaths to place her cheek near Clint's mouth and nose. After a few seconds, she reported, "He's breathing!"

"His heart rate has picked up too," the doctor added, peeking over at the heart monitor.

"Good enough for me. Let's clear the room," Tony said.

The doctor pulled the leads off Clint's chest. Then Natasha and the medical staff pushed the gurney out into the hallway with the waiting Hellhounds. When Tony didn't budge, Hopper chose to stay too.

"If you've got a plan, Loki," Tony said, "tell us how to help."

"He can't talk without hurting himself more!" Cami snapped, too tense to take it to heart that he worried about their well being.

With Cami's show of anger, the serpent turned toward Stark and gave a menacing hiss.

Tony asked, "Why the hell is that thing reacting to her that way?"

"I think it believes she is the person who summoned it from Niflheim," Loki answered softly, catching everyone off guard with his willingness to talk. "She has one of my spellbooks. Her essence has probably been tainted with shadow magic."

"That thing is from the realm of death and mist?" Tony asked. Apparently he'd been doing some research, because he looked horrified and furious.

"Oh no," Cami whispered. The realm of death and mist sounded bad.

Loki bit back a grimace, leaning first into Cami, then against the wall. Cami kept an eye on the snake, so she didn't know where his new injury had appeared. She said with some desperation, "Maybe I can tell it to go away."

"It has no natural ability to travel between Midgard and Niflheim," Loki answered with a wince, "and we have no means to send it thus."

This news was further upsetting to her, especially when Loki gave out another cry of pain, but kept himself hidden out of her sight. He tried to touch the serpent again, managing to get much closer this time before it drew back, looking more agitated.

Cami looked up at Loki's pain-filled eyes. "Should I order it?"

Loki nodded.

Leveling her gaze on the serpent, Cami said firmly, "Go to him."

The creature moved toward the offered hand, crossing the palm to climb up Loki's scarred arm. As soon as Cami was free of the serpent's body, Loki slipped his left hand between them to give her a gentle push away.

"Cami, make your way over to me," Hopper instructed. "Slow and easy."

She did as she was told, turning back to look only as she reached Hopper's side. Warmth had returned to her flesh. The fear had yet to abate with the serpent curling itself around Loki's arm. He did not look as concerned as Cami thought he should. Two long tears oozed blood down Loki's front, one on his stomach, the other along his collarbone.

Tony asked, "Now what do we do?"

"Nothing," Loki said. "I think I'll have just what I need now."

He held up his opposite hand as if to warn them to keep back as another wound opened on his chest in the left pectoral muscle. He screamed out something that didn't sound like any language Cami had ever heard before and everything was plunged into a cold, unnatural darkness.

All Cami could see was black. She gasped at the instantaneous drop in temperature. The darkness chilled and nipped at her skin. It slipped into her nose and throat when she breathed, sweeping into her lungs and making her chest hurt.

"JARVIS, activate the suit lights," Tony ordered.

"I already did, Sir," was the A.I.'s response.

"Shit! I still can't see anything."

"Everyone hold tight," Hopper said with authority. There wasn't much they could do anyway.

Time crawled by until the people in the hallway reported that the darkness had begun to recede back into the confines of the infirmary. A little longer and Cami caught sight of some light at the edge of her vision. She started to blink her eyes to help them adjust to the conversion and felt warmth overtake her as the mass of black withdrew toward the corner and disappeared into Loki. He was on his hands and knees on the floor, but pushed himself up onto his haunches to return the stares coming at him from the group.

"Where did all the blood go?" Tony asked, drawing the group's attention to the fact that other than the stains on his pants, there wasn't a visible drop of blood on Loki. Even his newest wounds had stopped bleeding.

Hopper held up Cami's hand. "His blood is gone from her too."

"No more snake," Tony added, casting his gaze down and around to be sure.

Natasha marched back into the room. "Loki, what did you do?"

Loki looked weary. He stood, but lost balance and stumbled back into the corner.

Cami crossed to Loki so she could help steady him and give his wounds a little closer inspection. "These will need to be stitched up."

"Maybe he can just heal them," Tony said with an edge to his voice, "since it seems that he's back to casting spells now."

Loki shook his head, denying the accusation.

Cami chose to ignore Stark. She smoothed his hair and touched his face, which felt unusually cold. "You should probably lie down, wrapped up in a few blankets."

"Tony," Natasha said with a frown, "he's obviously very weak; and he saved Clint's life. Can you stop being a bastard for a few minutes please?"

"Loki casts some serious magic, even though he's supposed to be mortal now, and suddenly I'm the bad guy. Geez, you ex-criminals really do stick together."

Natasha glared back at him.

With a sigh of exasperation at Stark's attitude, Hopper turned back to the door. "Dan, wheel Clint back in here. Gary, Marcus, go get that other bed out of the storage room next door for Loki."

Tony stepped out of the way of the gurney, inching toward the door. "Fine. I'll call Fury then. He's going to want to know what happened."

"_We_ don't know what happened," Cami pointed out, sounding snippy.

"JARVIS is monitoring the camera feeds. So, we'll start there. I'm sure Nick will have some questions for me to bring back to Loki." No one challenged Stark as he stormed out of the infirmary, the weight of his suit making every angry step more pronounced.


	5. Chapter 5 - Authority Figures

**Chapter Five - Authority Figures**

* * *

Clint woke to find his two favorite girls at his bedside. Cami was curled up asleep in a lounge chair. Natasha sat on a metal folding chair, her attention on the screen of a hand-held computer that looked like it might be the one they'd given to Loki.

"Did someone beat the shit out of me?" Clint asked with a soft groan.

Natasha put aside the computer and climbed to her feet. "Your heart stopped and there were complications with the CPR. You've got a broken sternum and a couple cracked ribs. The doctor said you held up really well considering."

"Oh." That explained the pain in his chest that went from dull and constant to shooting with every substantial breath.

"Do you remember anything that happened?"

"Um—yeah; sorta." Clint was surprised by how quickly his memories surfaced. "There's another Loki. He doesn't like our Loki all that much; and he is seriously bad news."

"Two Lokis," Natasha said, casting her attention across the small room, drawing Clint's gaze to their Loki sleeping on a gurney against the far wall under a small mountain of blankets.

"The other Loki is working with someone named Jahla," Clint continued. "It sounded like they've been using our Loki's blood to make the other one stronger."

Natasha took in this information with a growing look of concern. She said, "We don't know much, but some stuff happened that I'm sure you'd like to know before Director Fury arrives." She reached for the computer. "I've got video footage that Stark pulled from the security system."

"Is everyone else alright?"

"Loki has sustained serious injuries again. The rest of us are all fine, if you don't count that Stark's on a bit of a rampage."

Clint looked, but didn't find anything resembling the controls there would be on a standard hospital bed. "Help me sit up."

Natasha managed to get the gurney to cooperate, but the effort caused enough noise to wake Cami.

"Hey," she said abandoning her chair. "Did Nat tell you how badly you scared us?"

"Not exactly, but I bet it was pretty upsetting," Clint admitted. He really didn't want to go into all the details if he could avoid it.

Natasha queued up the video footage and gave him the computer. "Obviously there are no cameras in the shower area. We didn't see who attacked you, but the camera outside the showers did capture this."

Clint could see himself on the screen, standing in the entryway of the showers with his gun drawn. The camera must have been above and to the right of where he stood. He started the video, realizing that it hadn't been enhanced for optimum sound. His verbal exchange with the other Loki was much too soft. With some focus he could probably recall what they had said to each other though. The video did show just how fast the strike from the other Loki had hit him. Clint hadn't managed to get a single shot off, no matter how ineffective, before he was laid out.

Clint chose to rewind the video and watch it again a few more times before letting it move on to Loki pulling the fire alarm and starting CPR on him. His chest felt even more tight as the scene played out on the screen, and it wasn't because Loki had given him mouth-to-mouth. It had been the look of terror and desperation on Cami's face that caused him to pause the video.

"The part you'll really want to see happened here in the infirmary," Natasha said, acutely aware of his discomfort. She took the computer and advanced the video.

Clint noted Cami's averted gaze as he took possession of the computer again. "Something you want to tell me, kiddo?"

"It will look really scary, but I'm fine. So, don't get all worked up."

"Um, okay. Maybe I shouldn't have asked."

Again the sound was useless and the camera angle a little less-than-ideal, but as soon as he saw the group's reactions, he had to rewind the video and zoom in to find out what he wasn't quite seeing. The image was pixelated, but he could tell that something had come out of his chest when Cami drew near to him.

"When you got hit with that spell," Natasha said, "it must have put this thing inside of you."

"Why aren't I in quarantine?"

"It's okay," Cami said, reaching out to touch his arm. "Loki got it out. Just watch."

Clint watched the rest of the video in silence, though the growing aggravation on his features probably spoke volumes to them. He handed the computer back to Natasha. "I can see why Stark is so upset."

"Please don't get angry with Loki," Cami begged. "He saved your life and probably all of ours by getting rid of that misty snake-thing."

"How did he do that by-the-way?" Clint asked, choosing not to address his sister's plea at the moment.

"We have no idea," Natasha admitted. "He's been asleep for hours. Whatever he did, it took a lot out of him."

Cami added, "Loki has classic symptoms of anemia, but like they said in D.C. he doesn't type close enough to any blood they have in storage. He's just going to have to recover on his own like before. And his body temperature dropped low, like way low, but has been rising with the help of the blankets."

Clint stared at Loki. Underneath his human appearance, he was supposed to be Jotun, a Frost Giant. How cold was too cold for him? Clint sighed. "It's just one thing after another with this team. Perhaps we've been too appropriately named." Natasha nodded, not looking as amused as Clint had hoped. "You said that Fury is on his way?"

"Yeah. He talked to Stark, saw the video and caught the next bird out," Natasha said. "Mike and Dan took the Streak to rendezvous with him. Should be back in about an hour. I haven't heard what Nick's mood is on this so far."

"I doubt it's good. It would be nice if we got a chance to talk with Loki before Nick gets here. Have you tried to wake him?"

"No. The doctor said to let him sleep. He wanted to hook him up to a bunch of stuff and give him some meds, but Loki would only let him stitch up his wounds."

Clint could understand. "He doesn't like doctors."

"Can't say I blame him," Cami said with a hint of a whine. "He spends so much time in the hospital thanks to that damn curse."

Clint attempted to sit up more, gasping and holding his taped chest. "Someone grab me a uniform and some painkillers. I refuse to be debriefed in a hospital bed."

"I'll go," Natasha said, leaving Clint to deal with his sister and her sad puppy-dog eyes. Her lips pressed together, a classic sign that she'd be biting at the bottom one soon. Clint knew it was a family tick that their Grandma Barton had also had, but Cami wouldn't know that since she'd been a toddler when their dad's mother passed away.

"I came a little unglued in the hallway when I thought you were dead," Cami confessed. "Sorry I acted like that in front of your friends."

"It's not a big deal," Clint said to make her feel better. In truth, it was important to have field agents who could keep their cool, especially when faced with shocking and emotional situations. That sort of discipline took longer for some to develop, or they eventually quit field service for less taxing positions in S.H.I.E.L.D. "It looked to me like you pulled it together pretty quick."

Cami shrugged. Her gaze shifted between him and the blankets as she smoothed them out for him. Clint watched her swallow hard and blink away tears, trying not to let him see just how badly she was shaken.

_God, she's trying so hard, but I don't know if she can do this,_ he thought. "Sorry I scared you," he said, feeling that he should mention her distress as respectfully as possible.

"I thought my whole world was ending," Cami admitted. "I realize that you must have felt so alone when Mom and Dad died."

This wasn't where he'd wanted this conversation to go. So, he suppressed the urge to access those memories and employed a distraction to get them back on track with the priority issues of the moment. "See if you can wake your boyfriend." As expected, his choice of words surprised her. "I doubt he'll want to be in bed or in his pajamas when Director Fury gets here. The whole team needs to be in uniform, calm, collected and ready to answer some very tough questions."

"Am I in trouble again?" she asked, clearly uncertain.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Most of this is going to be aimed at Loki. Fallout for the rest of us will depend a lot on the facts and how they're spun."

"The best we can do is to tell the truth, right?"

He was proud to hear her say that, even if she'd turned it into a question. "Yeah. Always tell your boss the truth—unless, of course, you shouldn't."

* * *

Surrounded in thick mist and twilight gloom, Loki endured the crushing despair of Niflheim and its eternal winter. He hoped he was just dreaming, but the vivid images looming in his mind and the debilitating chill in his core would not abate, no matter how hard he tried to push them away.

He had no physical body in this nightmare, yet it felt like he was being restrained. When he looked around, a vast sea of dead, pallid faces stared back at him. Something about his presence seemed to mesmerize these lost and forgotten souls; and they hindered his return to consciousness by merely wanting him to remain.

Loki knew he'd brought this torment upon himself and not entirely for selfless reasons. Perhaps that is why this dream state had such an unbreakable hold on him.

A distant, angelic voice called for him to awaken. It was Cami, of course, but the hollow moaning of the dead rose up to drown her out.

* * *

Cami could see Clint's tension when he and Natasha left the infirmary to meet up with the director in the hangar. Natasha was also on edge, but Cami suspected her issues were more about Clint being out of bed in his injured condition than in possible consequences from Loki's stunt.

Cami remained with Loki, continuing to try to wake him. They added an electric blanket to the bottom of his pile and jacked up the thermostat in the room, all in the hopes of getting his body temperature to stabilize.

Starting to feel desperate, Cami had even sent out a plea for assistance to Heimdall to pass along to the royal family in Asgard. So, she shouldn't have been so surprised when she saw Clint and Natasha returning with Nick Fury, King Odin and Queen Frigga.

"Still no luck?" Clint asked Cami as he stepped into the room, holding the door for the others.

"None. It feels like he's getting colder," Cami reported.

"Maybe we'd better get the doctor back in here," Nick Fury said, eying Loki grimly.

"I think the doctor has given up," Natasha said with mild disgust. "He wasn't exactly prepared to deal with these unusual circumstances."

Frigga was the first of the new arrivals to come right up to the bed. She touched Loki on the face, neck and chest, gathering information with her careful examination.

"Did you see the video?" Cami asked the queen, but also shot a look over to Odin.

"Yes, Cami, we did," Odin said, his features tight.

Frigga muttered with an air of exasperation, "He's lucky to be alive."

"What did he do exactly?" Clint asked. "We didn't think he could use magic."

"It's hard to explain," Odin admitted, shaking his head and looking weary. "Frigga, my dear, what can you tell us?"

"This is going to take some time to sort out," she said.

"Please keep us advised," Fury said to the king and queen. "You three," he indicated Cami, Clint and Natasha, "come with me."

What Cami assumed was going to be a lecture aimed at the Mischief Makers, turned out to be a gathering with the Hellhounds too. Nick pulled them all into the rec room, passed out some beers to everyone except Clint, who was on strong painkillers, and ordered them to start talking. He wanted to know everything they knew or thought they knew about Loki in reference to the most recent incidents.

Stott offered, "He's actually made an effort to act like a team member the last few days. Personally, I like the guy."

"The dude is freakin' awesome at just about everything he tries to do," Kotter said next. "I want to keep him on our side if we can manage it."

"Since we know now that there are two Lokis," Fury said, "it might be too dangerous to let our Loki return to the helicarrier with the other one gunning for him."

Clint clarified, "He won't kill our Loki. He needs his blood for what he calls _enhancements_."

"Magic is not an area S.H.I.E.L.D. has much experience with," Hopper pointed out. "If we harbor Loki, we're asking for trouble."

Cami had said nothing thus far. Her unopened beer sat on the table beside her chair. She had been reading their expressions, trying to be objective and not think about Loki's current condition. Then everyone's eyes moved to look at her.

"What?" she asked with confusion.

"Anything to share?" Fury asked her.

"No." Cami stared at her shoes to avoid the director's intense gaze.

"Spill it. What's on your mind, Miss Barton?"

"We issued him a uniform. Loki signed all the paperwork. He's done everything we've asked of him so far, and now that his past comes back to bite him, we're going to cut him loose?"

"Cami, we didn't say we were," Natasha said. "We just might not be the allies he needs."

Fury pressed, "We are not equipped to fight magic."

"King Odin told me himself that the time has come to forge alliances between the realms. Asgard has protected our world in the past. Why can't we ask them for help?"

"We would certainly give it," Odin said from the doorway, catching everyone off guard. "Please forgive my interruption. I come with news."

Fury welcomed him into their group with a nod. "How is Loki?"

Odin looked calmer than when he had arrived in the infirmary. "All things considered, he is doing better now."

"What can you tell us?" Natasha asked.

"At his trial, I suppressed Loki's ability to access his magic, but I didn't remove his knowledge of it. What he did today wasn't casting a spell. He provoked a magical occurrence by using ancient words of power."

Fury asked, "What sort of magical occurrence?"

"He utterly destroyed that creature," Odin said.

"So, he can destroy something anytime he wants to, just by knowing these words?" Hopper asked with visible concern.

"No, it doesn't work that way," the king said. "Though Loki couldn't cast magic, there was magic present: the blood curse, my spell, plus the residual magic around his scars. All of that came to bear when he invoked those words. Plus, he had his intended target—the serpent, a magical creature. He also had a powerful catalyst—his blood, spilled through magical means. This was an act of opportunity that nearly killed him. He will not be repeating it."

"How can you be so sure?" Nick challenged. "Absolutes are rare in this world."

Odin appeared to understand the director's skepticism. "The curse is gone," he said, "along with the residual magic around his scars. They were burned up in the attempt to undo the serpent. The spell I put on him fractured under the strain, allowing his Jotun physiology to partially surface through the cracks."

"That's why he was cold?" Cami asked to clarify. "It was his Jotun side coming through?"

"Yes, the frigid grip of Niflheim tried to claim him. I suspect it was the only way for his body to fight back. I had no choice but to remove my spell on him completely so he could return to his natural Jotun form."

Clint sat forward in his seat, grimacing with the discomfort. "If you're no longer suppressing his magic, how do we know he won't just blink away and escape?"

"There is no need to suppress his magic now, Agent Barton. Loki doesn't have any magic left, nor can he shapeshift." Visible anger rose on Odin's features as he further explained. "My son says that the blood sorceress took those abilities from him and gave them to his double."

"So he is stuck in Jotun form with no magic?" Cami could only imagine how Loki was feeling now. At least he would be able to talk about his experiences with the curse gone.

Odin nodded. "For now we are letting him rest and recuperate. He will heal faster this way. I promised I would return him to his human form later if he wished."

"Does he need anything?" Natasha asked, looking solemn.

"His only request was that we examine Agent Barton's injuries and try to provide some assistance in healing him." Odin addressed Clint. "Will that be alright?"

"Yes, your majesty. Thank you."

"We still have unanswered questions," Nick Fury emphasized.

"As do I," Odin assured him. "Loki has just regained his voice and it appears that he is hesitant to say too much. I wish to give him time to collect his thoughts."

The king turned to leave. Natasha followed along as Clint climbed painfully off the couch. She suggested the use of Clint and Loki's room for the examination as they met up with Odin in the hall.

Director Fury gestured Cami to come over to him when she met his gaze. "Yes, Sir?" she asked, moving to the seat closest to him.

"How was driving?"

This seemed like an odd topic for the moment with all that was going on.

"It was really fun."

"I haven't had time to review the footage, but Stark thinks you were holding back. Is that true?"

"Well, the vehicles are expensive. I was trying to be careful."

Nick nodded, searching her features. After a moment, he asked Hopper and the rest of the guys to clear out so he and Cami could have the room, which made her more apprehensive. One-on-one time with Nick almost always meant she was in trouble.

Once they were alone, Fury asked in a guarded, yet serious tone, "Are you sleeping with Loki?"

Caught ill-prepared, Cami wondered if this was one of those times that she shouldn't tell her boss the truth. Of course, when working for S.H.I.E.L.D. no part of an agent's life was really personal. At least the truth wasn't too painful in this instance.

"Not yet."

Nick's expression didn't change at all. "Is this going to be a problem?"

"How can I judge something like that? I've been out of classes for weeks with all that's been going on. Regaining focus on my studies will be hard."

"We let Loki test out of some courses. Would you like that same opportunity? It would free up time for your combat training."

"Yeah, I guess."

After another long, drawn out pause Fury said, "I wasn't going to bring this up until you were back at the helicarrier, but now might be the best time for us to talk. The Council is asking me to justify your presence on the team. They understand putting two top agents as Loki's supervisors and trainers, but your placement has them stumped."

Cami's spirits fell. The World Council held ultimate power over all S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel. They were the last people you wanted to get upset with you.

Nick took her hesitation to mean she wasn't going to respond. "If I remove you from the Mischief Makers, what do you think Loki's reaction is going to be?"

_Oh no,_ Cami thought, a mix of emotions welling up inside her. "If I made him think I wanted off the team, he'd probably be alright with it," she suggested, forcing out the words before thinking them over too much. "As long as he still could see me." She looked away, unable to maintain eye contact for fear that she was going to start crying or something worse.

Nick noticed. "That really hurt, didn't it?"

_Please don't rub it in_, her wounded heart begged. "Yes, Sir. It does hurt."

"Dr. Montoya says I coddle you too much."

Though there wasn't much change in his demeanor, Cami guessed that the therapist's accusation had stung him a bit. "Did you tell her to go to hell?"

"Yes, actually, I did. Then I called the Council and told them the truth about why you are a member of the Mischief Makers." Cami dared to look at him, needing to hear his reason. "Not only did you insist that we give Loki a chance, but you also stuck with him through this hard transition. You stepped in as his unofficial handler, and he obviously cares a great deal about your opinion of him."

Cami knew that was the truth.

"Now it's become apparent that you've improved our relationship with Asgard—another fact that I'll pass along to the Council."

"When will the Council make their decision?"

"I don't know. Once I make my report to them on this new information, they'll have other things to worry about."

Cami tried not to take any of this personally. Fury knew her, but the council members didn't. Her accomplishments were few and not-so-impressive when compared to any of the real agents. "I'm still in training. How did my career suddenly become such a big deal?"

"You can definitely blame that on Loki," Nick said. "Whether he's the villain or one of the good guys, he's always going to be in the spotlight. You might want to think hard on that fact before you get any more involved with him."


	6. Chapter 6 - All the Feels

**Chapter Six - All the Feels**

* * *

Cami found Frigga had joined in on Clint's examination when she came to his door. Between the king, queen and Natasha, she figured her brother had all the help he needed at the moment. She decided to head to the infirmary to check on Loki, expecting he'd be alone.

To her surprise, Stark stepped out into the hallway right before she got there. He saw her and promptly shut the door. "I don't suggest visiting him right now," Tony said, looking unsettled and a bit guilt-ridden as he blocked the door.

Cami couldn't see in the windows with the curtains drawn from the inside. "Why?" her tone accused. "What did you do?"

"I had a chance to speak to Odin and thought I should apologize to Loki for reacting the way I did earlier. There were a few important points I didn't catch from the quick conversation. I walked right in and—"

"Saw him."

"Yeah. He's freaky."

"That's not his fault. You didn't say anything mean, did you?"

"I don't know. Maybe something about him looking like Gargamel had crossbred with the Smurfs. It's possible I just thought that though, and it didn't actually come out of my mouth."

Cami sighed with deep disappointment. "You are a real jerk, you know that?"

"Whatever I said or thought, I did manage to get my apology out before he rudely asked me to leave. I'm sorry if I hurt his feelings with my unmanly scream."

Cami studied his features, fending off the urge to physically strike him. At least he appeared genuinely sorry, even if he had to make a joke out of it. "Do you ever look before you leap? You might be a genius, but sometimes you're an idiot."

He conceded her point with a small, quirky smile. "Pepper has said the same thing."

She softened her glare, deciding that he was safe from retaliation for the time being.

Tony said, "I'm heading out. Pepper's expecting me at the tower. Tell him sorry again, will ya? That is, if he lets you in. I'm pretty sure he locked the door the moment I shut it."

Her wave probably looked more like a good-riddance gesture than a friendly farewell as he strode away, but her mind wanted to focus on Loki. She tried the door, finding it locked. Stepping close to it, she called out, "Loki, it's Cami. Can I come in please? Stark's gone."

"I know," was his quick, yet weighted response.

"He told me how sorry he felt."

Loki sounded both angry and annoyed. "The door is thin. I heard your entire exchange with him perfectly."

"I'm sorry if he hurt your feelings with the Smurf comment," Cami sympathized. "Tony sucks on so many levels sometimes."

"How could he hurt my feelings if I don't understand the reference?" There was still too much emotion in his words for it to have meant nothing to him.

She allowed the smallest amount of desperation to come out in her tone as she asked, "Please let me in?"

It took him awhile to think her request over before he answered with a sad, yet decisive-sounding, "Not this time."

After almost losing her brother, being told she might not be a Mischief Maker much longer and then Loki's unwillingness to let her comfort him, Cami couldn't suppress the pain that burned in her chest and crept up her throat. Though his refusal hurt, she did try again to be understanding and not make this all about her.

"Then let's just talk," she said. "We haven't had this opportunity before, right?"

She heard him sigh and decided he must be directly on the other side of the door.

"I just want to be left alone."

Cami recalled what Thor told her back in Loki's room in Asgard. Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three had learned to leave Loki alone when he was in his rooms because that was what he wanted.

She walked away, picking up speed while fighting to keep her building emotions in check. Personnel moved about the facility, making it hard to find a quiet place to collect herself. As Cami came around the corner near the cafeteria, she collided with Stott and Rodriguez almost ending up on her rear.

"Cami, are you okay?" Marcus asked her, but she pulled away from his helpful, steadying hands, doubting she could speak and hold herself together.

Cami ran from them, needing to get outside where she wouldn't feel so enclosed. The first exit she found put her out by the track at the south fence where she could finally take in a deep breath of the dry, dessert air. That's when the tears started falling in earnest. She sobbed, clinging to the chain link fence.

Much later the door behind her opened with a squeak then shut heavily. The gravel crunched underfoot as someone approached. A hand grasped her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Cami lied, wiping and rubbing at her eyes. "I'm just tired."

"Hawkeye said you might need a friend," said a warm, feminine voice that sounded familiar, yet didn't make immediate sense to her addled brain. Cami spun around and had to look up to meet Sif's warm gaze.

"Sif!" Cami stepped into the warrior's embrace, squeezing her tight. "How...?"

Sif smiled, pleased to have surprised Cami. She explained, "The queen needed some supplies for your brother's medicine. I was in the healing room when King Odin arrived to get them. He said I could come to Midgard with him if I made myself useful."

"I really am glad to see you." Cami hugged her again. "How long will you get to stay?"

"I do not know. I should assume this is a brief visit," she said. "Would you like to talk about why you were so upset?"

"It's been a hard day," Cami admitted.

"Hawkeye and Black Widow told me a little of what happened. I assume Loki is in one of his moods. Was he mean to you?"

Sif did know Loki well.

"I don't think it was his intention to hurt my feelings." Cami leaned back against the fence. She wiped the last of her tears away. Some had already dried on her cheeks. "He's embarrassed about his appearance. I shouldn't have assumed he would let me see him."

Sif joined her at the fence, glancing across the track before looking down at Cami. "The first time I saw a Jotun was in a book. They can be very unsettling," she shared, "especially in person."

"I want him to trust me. No matter how frightening he thinks he looks, it won't matter that much to me, even if it's permanent."

"Thankfully, it will not be. His majesty has promised. You will be able to cheer Loki after that."

"I guess. Hopefully this doesn't take too long," Cami said with a frown. They had plans for Clint and Natasha with an approaching deadline. Plus they had made some promises for their own private time, which Cami wasn't giving up on despite the ever-increasing number of interested parties. Loki's blue-phase was just another inconvenience to add to the list of recent obstacles.

* * *

Since their return to the helicarrier had been delayed with the day's events, everyone was basically hanging out. Nick interrupted a big group of them congregating in Clint's room getting to know Sif a little better.

"Hopper, Romanoff, get everyone out on the track. The day is wasting away. If the king and queen don't require her assistance, Sif can go with you," Nick ordered. "I'll be out shortly."

"Yes, Sir," Hopper said as the others fell in behind him.

"Sif, come see our cool cars," Cami said, gesturing for the warrior to follow.

Clint wished he was going with them. If the Queen of Asgard hadn't specifically asked him to stay in bed, he would have been up and about as before. He certainly felt a hundred times better since Frigga had applied her medicine to his chest. He wasn't completely free from the pain, but it was more manageable than it had been on just the painkillers.

Fury stepped into the room once everyone else was out. He reported to Clint, "Loki has locked himself in the infirmary, disabled the camera and hacked into the facility security system to delete all the footage of himself in his Jotun form."

"The backups too?"

Nick took a seat at the table. "Of course"

Clint couldn't stop from smiling. He was amused and kind of proud. "Well, we did let him study up on a lot of stuff like that."

Nick thought about it and tentatively smiled too. "We're going to regret all the freedom and knowledge we've given him, aren't we?"

"Yeah, probably," Clint said. "What's up? You still look agitated."

"The Council's closely examining everything we have on Loki. Unfortunately, their interest has spread to the rest of the team as well."

Clint could see where this was heading. "They don't approve of Cami," he guessed.

Nick said, "They want me to put the Mischief Makers out in the field as soon as possible. It's been suggested that I replace Cami with someone more mature and experienced."

"They've only suggested it?"

"You know how they are sometimes. _Strongly suggest_ is a breath away from a direct order."

Clint found it hard to be objective when it felt like his sister was being short-changed. "Cami's been trying really hard. Can't we find a way to show off her talents a little more? I mean, she's a smart and perceptive person, Nick."

"I'll try to keep the Council distracted. Maybe Hill will have some ideas. Meanwhile, you have got to get Cami through combat training. Do whatever it takes."

"That's the plan, Sir. I'm just trying to figure out how to get things rolling."

* * *

Loki sat on the gurney, working on his computer when Odin reappeared in the infirmary. "Come to lecture me?" he asked, stealing a quick glance in the king's direction.

"I'm sure you will perceive it that way," Odin said. "I had a chance to speak alone with Director Fury. He's impressed with your skills and contributions."

Loki's fingers never slowed on the keyboard as Odin spoke.

"Stop doing that," Odin barked, indicating the computer. "Show me a little respect."

Loki tossed his computer aside with a sigh, not caring where or how roughly it landed. "I'm just a puppet, another soldier in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ranks. Anyone with half a brain impresses them."

"It is odd that you would say that."

"Why? Because I'm actually telling the truth?"

"They weren't impressed with your magic or claims of omnipotence before, Loki. They might have feared you, but they did not value you. These people have become your friends."

"I never called them such," Loki insisted.

"Yet, they still think of you as one of them and are willing to forgive your past. They only ask that you return that trust and loyalty."

Loki let his anger rise up to squelch all other sentiment. "I'm not the same person you sent to live with the Frost Giants," Loki said bitterly, scowling at the blue flesh of his hands. "If you had sent me here first, the humans would have thrown me in prison and let me rot there. They are not as forgiving as you believe."

Odin's tone softened, "You don't know that for certain."

Loki's anger faltered as so many thoughts and emotions fought to override each other. "I came to Midgard defeated and ready to die. Cami saw me as an opportunity to improve her own standing, and I had no choice but to play her games."

"A lie, even if based in some truth, is still a lie," Odin lectured. "You are attempting to distance yourself from your friends because you know they are in danger now. Using your current situation as an excuse somehow makes it easier for you. Well, I won't listen to it."

_Typical_, Loki thought. "Listening was never your strong suit, Father. Giving speeches is so much easier."

"I know I am not without blame, but this is about you. You're frustrated and scared and you can't hide behind your silence any longer," Odin said. "If you prefer they fear you instead of caring about you, then why hide in here? Go deliver your insults to those who have shown you such kindness and acceptance. Be every bit the monster you wish to be, if that is how you truly feel."

Loki rolled his eyes, knowing full well that Odin was just trying to provoke an emotional response from him. "You never should have sent me here."

"There are many things I should apologize for," Odin said, "but sending you to Earth will not be one of them. Being here has done you good, whether you choose to see it or not."

* * *

"Damn, what has gotten into you, Cami?" Kotter asked through the com. "You've been outmaneuvering me through every obstacle."

"Don't like a taste of your own medicine, huh?" Natasha jabbed at Kotter.

Cami giggled. What a wonderful release it had been to push herself and the S.T.A.V. harder, throwing caution to the wind for the thrills of power and speed.

"Seems that she's not being so cautious now," Fury commented, sounding pleased. "Finish your runs and bring the vehicles in for the night."

Driving had been a nice distraction from her troubles, though Cami wished Clint and Loki had been there to see what she could really do. Fury was waiting when Cami pulled her S.T.A.V. into the garage. She and Sif climbed out and made their way over to him.

"Now that's more like it," Nick said. "Very nice driving, Miss Barton."

"Thanks."

The others pulled into the garage in rapid succession. After congratulating them on their efforts, Fury sent the group to dinner.

Natasha accompanied Cami and Sif to the cafeteria, but only stayed long enough to fill two plates. Then she headed off to eat with Clint in his room. Odin and Frigga stepped into the doorway a little later while Cami was explaining to Sif the composition of meatloaf. The girls jumped up from their table and went to join them.

"Any news on Loki?" Cami asked.

Odin's frame tensed and Frigga actually paled a bit. "We're going to take him to Asgard," Frigga answered.

"Oh," Cami said, her features slipping into an uncertain frown. "You'll heal him up and bring him back?"

"No," the king said, sounding solemn. "I'm afraid not."

"Then he wants to leave," Cami surmised, her face and chest warming despite the air-conditioned room.

Frigga reached out a supportive hand, touching Cami gently on the arm. "He's confused and upset about all that has transpired. He's overreacting."

"He does do that on occasion," Sif confirmed, looking crestfallen.

Cami asked, "Does anyone else know?"

"I informed Director Fury. He has gone to tell your brother and Miss Romanoff," King Odin answered. "I made it clear to Loki that I would not take him anywhere until his teammates had a chance to say goodbye to him."

Clint and Natasha were already standing at the infirmary door. Cami heard Clint say as her group walked up, "He knows about Cami. You leaving is not going to protect her from him."

_Is that what he's trying to do? Protect me? _ Cami wondered. She really wasn't sure. The situation had come unraveled too fast for her to comprehend anything.

Natasha stepped back to let Cami have her spot. She slipped up against the door and next to her brother. "This isn't your fault," Clint said to her. "He doesn't want you to get hurt."

Cami's heart ached. "Did he say that?"

"Does he really have to?" Clint offered her a small smile. "We're Bartons. Sometimes we just know these things, right?"

"I don't want him to leave," Cami confessed. "I need him, and he needs us too."

"Tell him that," Natasha prompted.

"The door's thin. He can hear us."

"Loki, please reconsider," Clint said. "Our job is always going to be dangerous. Nat and I both have dossiers full of people who want us dead. It comes with the territory."

Natasha added, "We protect and help each other. That's the point of being a team."

Loki did not respond.

Her voice shook as Cami started to talk in a low tone, progressively getting louder. "I'm sorry if I've done the wrong thing. I'm just a kid, and I get these dumb ideas in my head sometimes."

The silence dragged on for what seemed an eternity.

Cami blinked through emerging tears, sniffling and rubbing at a tight, burning sensation in the center of her chest. Something positive had to happen soon or she was likely to come unglued again. If only she could see him. Surely they could work this out face to face.

"Please let me in?" Cami begged. "I don't want to say goodbye to a door."

There was an almost immediate click of the lock and the door opened about a foot. Certain that Loki was on the left behind the door, Cami moved to the right as she slipped through. Then she held still, keeping her back to him as he shut and locked the door again.

A chill touched her as he stepped closer. She reached back for him, felt his icy hand grasp hers and pulled his arm forward and around her middle. Loki leaned into her, placing a frosty kiss on her ear that made her shiver.

"Stay with me," she whispered.

"I want to..." he whispered back, sounding as if there was more he meant to say but chose not to continue.

"Your father promised to help us with Loki and Jahla. We can all do this together."

"If only it was so easy." His hold tightened around her, the cold off his exposed skin seeping through her clothes to embrace her in his chill.

"How would I be safer with you gone? You know him better than anyone."

"I know he must die, but I haven't the courage to kill him, not when I'm with you."

Cami puzzled and pondered these words as she continued to shiver. "Please don't go."

"Close your eyes."

She did as he asked, feeling him move around to her front and softly press his mouth to hers. Though it was a chaste, gentle kiss, the chill of his lips still made her jump. He hooked his hands under Cami's legs and picked her up, pulling her against his bare chest until he could sit her up on the gurney. Then he teased her throat, neck, jaw and earlobe with wandering kisses that soon became soft suckling and nibbling back and forth along the same path. He put his arms around her again, his hands meeting at the small of her back with his long fingers stretching down to clutch her buttocks.

Cami nuzzled his neck where it met his shoulder and dared to lick at his flesh just to feel the tingly sensation it caused on her tongue. Under her shirt, her nipples were hard to the point of aching from the cold that radiated off his chest.

"Let me look," she said. "I won't be afraid."

Again his mouth moved to hers, keeping her busy for awhile with his generously seductive kisses.

Realizing this was a stalling tactic, Cami finally pulled back. "Let's try this again," she said in a playful, yet pointed tone. "I'm going to look. So, take this as fair warning to hide, if you feel you have to."

He didn't move away, but Cami felt him tensing up as she counted down in her head. Then she opened her eyes to see his deep, blood red orbs staring back at her. He had marks in his blue skin that were easier to make out on his face than on his scarred chest and arms. Cami traced the rounded design on his forehead with her index finger, which caused him to pull back from her.

"Sorry, did I get a little too enthralled there?" Cami tried a smile to calm his tension. "Your markings are interesting."

Loki stared at her with confusion bordering on agitation.

Her enthusiasm deflated. "What?"

"You are really not afraid?"

She shook her head, continuing to read his features and being mildly fascinated with the subtle changes a blue hue added to his expressions.

"You are an odd girl."

Cami chuckled, "I've been called worse."

"I guess I should have known after the snake," he said with a mild eye roll.

Whatever that comment meant, Cami somehow managed not to respond with something sexual, though her mind totally went there for a bit.

"You seem disappointed in me," she said, giving him a playful pout. "Is it more of a turn-on if I scream?"

"Not at all." Then he thought it over a moment longer and said, "Well, it depends on the reason for the scream, I suppose."

"You really don't want to leave," she said, pulling him close again. "We're going to have so much fun kissing and hugging and fondling and stuff."

Loki smirked at her. "Shouldn't there be activities such as training, eating, sleeping—?"

"Are you asking me to sleep with you?!" Cami interjected with feigned shock.

He chuckled at her expression, shaking his head and giving her a generous look-over. His inspection stopped on her erect nipples, poking up through the material of her bra and shirt. Noting the location of his gaze, Cami straightened her posture, causing her shoulders to fall back and her chest to stick out more prominently.

"You do recall that I've seen most of your body," Loki said, acting sly.

"So? You were only wearing a towel while you performed mouth-to-mouth on my brother. Now that I think back on it, I'm a little jealous."

His smile widened, revealing that even his teeth had a tint of blue to them.

"You're not making this very easy."

"If you leave I'm going to be distraught," she told him, laying on the guilt—a tactic she rarely used on her boyfriends because she'd seen it sickeningly overused by girls. "I'll cry for days and then be terribly depressed. I might even stop eating and lose all my curves."

"Now that," he said, taking another long look, "_would_ be a tragedy."

"Stay with me."

"I want to," he assured her. "I just—"

She touched her finger to his lips, gently shushing him; and then when he tried to continue his protest, she silenced him with a kiss that went on forever with lots of hot-on-cold tongue action that made him moan and her head want to swim.

"What were you saying?" she asked, keeping him tight against her in case she had to swoop in to correct him again.

He looked utterly defeated and under her spell. With a sad smile, he said, "I'm staying."

Then, much to their chagrin, a round of applause erupted outside the infirmary door. From the sound of all the cheerful whooping and hollering, the Hellhounds had also joined the assemblage in the hallway.

"Oh dear," Loki said, burying his face against Cami's neck. "Will I ever live this down?"

"I don't know," Cami said with a giggle. "I think your parents are still out there too."

"Perfect. Just perfect."


	7. Chapter 7 - Outlook and Lookout

**Chapter Seven - Outlook and Lookout**

* * *

Loki felt alone among the hordes of aimless departed. There was nothing but the endless white and gray of the sky, land and the dead. He registered no stimulation, the cold having numbed his soul as if it were flesh. Images sparked in his mind, brief moments of memories that didn't completely solidify before they were dragged back into the mists.

It seemed like days had passed since he'd made his promise to stay with Cami. He'd intended to keep that promise, but when he closed his eyes for one more night of rest in the infirmary, he'd opened them again to find himself back in the frozen wastes of Niflheim. As before, he didn't have a body and could not move other than to look around. He also could not wake.

_Something has to happen?_ Loki thought in desperation. _I cannot be trapped here._

A figure approached, hidden beneath a heavy, oversized cloak of black and gliding atop the shifting mists. The dead shambled out of the way, forming an open corridor for the traveler leading right to Loki. The figure stopped ahead of him, hovering about a foot off the icy ground. Hands emerged from the long sleeves of the cloak, one with the soft, ivory skin of a maiden, the other the blanched-gray, rotted flesh of the dead. These hands pulled back the hood of the cloak, revealing a face of radiant youth and beauty on one side and the cruel decomposition of the grave on the opposite.

"Father," the dark-haired woman said, her tone flat and unemotional. She spoke only in recognition, not greeting.

Now there was no doubt in Loki's mind that this was more than a dream.

"Hel, my dear," he said with respect, "it's been awhile—"

Hel interrupted him with the smallest hint of anger, "Your words are meaningless."

"I see," Loki said, looking around at the multitudes of slack faces and dull gazes cast upon them. Hel's icy demeanor should not have surprised him in the least. They weren't close and hadn't spoken in centuries. "Can you please explain to me why I am here?"

"You tried to die. I let you live, but have kept this grip on you as a surety."

Loki stared at her, feeling the onset of a mild panic stir in his nonexistent chest. Having no body in this state was terribly confusing for him. "You saved me. Why?"

"I made a promise," she said, "that I would guard you from death. Unlike you, I uphold my side of a contract."

"You and I have no such contract. Who struck this bargain with you?" Loki had guessed the answer already, but needed confirmation.

"He says I can call him Father, but I won't. He is part you, but not you; as you are part him, but not him." She tilted her head as if the motion alone asked her next question.

Loki chose not to offer an explanation to her wordless interrogation.

"You promised him I would not be allowed to die in exchange for what exactly?"

"I will not tell you." She started to turn away.

"Wait! Hel, I must be allowed to awaken. I cannot stay here."

Hel gazed back over her shoulder. Her tone mocked him. "Isn't this the existence that you wanted, Father? Did you not attempt to take your own life?"

Loki tried to explain. "This other me, he cannot live if I die. I was making a sacrifice to protect others from his cruelty."

"I care not," she said, continuing away. Though her voice carried eerily back on the mists to whisper, "You are mine until I get what I was promised."

* * *

Loki took in a deep breath, opening his eyes to find Cami leaning over him, her hand on his cheek and her eyes full of concern. She had been biting her lip, but stopped when relief rushed in to brighten her features.

"I was beginning to think you would never wake up," she said, offering one of her endearing smiles.

He turned his head, rolling the side of his face into her palm that felt warm and welcoming against his skin. Loki took her hand, lifting it to his mouth for a soft kiss. It was then that he noticed his flesh matched more closely with hers, no longer blue.

"Your father cast a new spell before he and the queen returned to Asgard. He said he altered it so you could switch between being human and Jotun at will," Cami told him. "You'll heal faster as a Jotun, but Director Fury wants us all back at the helicarrier; and we assumed you wouldn't travel with the team if you weren't in this form."

"Accurate assumption," he uttered, thinking he had no plans to return to his Jotun form, for healing or otherwise. He looked over at the clock above the infirmary cabinets to find it was almost eight. "What time do we depart?"

"Nine. Shall I get you some breakfast?"

Loki shook his head. He shifted onto his side, scooting back to make room and pulled back the blankets.

"Oh," Cami said, climbing onto the gurney and cuddling up with him. "Is this what you need, a little body heat?"

_It certainly won't hurt_, Loki thought, his mind mulling over Hel and what she had told him. Her words alone left him feeling chilled.

After a long silence, Cami whispered against his bandaged chest. "Sif is coming with us. I asked your father and Nick to let me continue to train with her. They agreed, so she's going to be staying with us in the suite."

"She knows, doesn't she? She knows what I am," he guessed with sad irritation.

Though she looked apprehensive to tell him, Cami confessed, "Your curse and Jotun parentage all came out while I was in Asgard. Sif and the Warriors Three have been very understanding and supportive."

Loki growled, glaring at the ceiling. "Does every aspect of my life have to be on display, passed around as gossip or noted in some public record?"

"It was my fault. I'm sorry," Cami said, pulling away from him.

He grabbed for her, getting a good grip before she could manage to escape the gurney. He shifted, resting his chest on hers. "Don't run away," he said with care, noting the distress in her eyes. "I had a bad night. That's all."

"You are allowed to be mad at me."

He guessed that she'd been feeling guilty about this for days. "I'm allowed to forgive you too." She didn't quite frown, but it certainly wasn't a smile. "Can I assume you had a bad night as well?"

"Actually, most of yesterday sucked," she said. "Last night just gave me time to think everything over."

A kiss seemed an appropriate display of his sympathy and affection, so he delivered one gently to the tip of her nose. "How can I help?"

"Fury suggested that I could test out of some classes to free up time. Well, Clint jumped all over that idea. He's already arranged two tests for me tomorrow morning. I could really use some help studying, if you think you'd be any good at tutoring."

"I always assumed I would teach you a few things," he said with implied meaning that was not lost on her.

Her eyes narrowed, causing her to look more critical. "I've had other boyfriends before."

"Is that the term—boy friend? It sounds so juvenile."

She frowned. "Are you making a point of how young I am?"

He said, realizing that her mood was incredibly delicate this morning, "Cami, your youth is a virtue."

She wasn't accepting this as a compliment, it seemed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm tired," she groaned. "I want to go home."

He asked with honest curiosity, "Where do you consider home?"

Her hesitation was drawn out and her tone unconvincing as she said, "The helicarrier, I suppose."

Loki stored this very telling moment away in his mind until later. He climbed down from the gurney, dumping his blankets on the floor in the process. "Have you eaten?"

"Not that much."

Since she was already in her uniform, Loki told her to go on to the cafeteria. "I'll get dressed and meet you there," he promised. "Perhaps we'll get some studying in on the flight back."

She jumped down, looking weary. "Sorry to be a drag today. I'm probably PMSing."

Loki had never heard the term PMSing, but he had a short list of guesses based on past relationships. If anything, he figured he'd better pay very close attention to her body signals over the next few days and endeavor to be especially thoughtful.

He pulled Cami close, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her sweet scent. "Your presence always lifts my spirits. It will be wonderful to return to the suite and finally have you there with me."

Her instant smile showed that she appreciated him saying this; and she rewarded him with a deep kiss before running off.

Loki and Cami did review and discuss material from her classes during the long flight across country to rendezvous with the helicarrier. The rest of the group even threw in some helpful tips and information between their own conversations.

Since Fury was riding up front with Clint, Hopper was back with the main group. Loki noticed that he and Sif were talking comfortably for hours.

"Loki, I had no idea you were such a scholar," Sif commented after Hopper told her that Loki had tested out of the field curriculum.

Stott added, "You'll have a guaranteed spot as an instructor if you ever tire of field work."

"We'll see, Gary," Loki said, making a point to use Agent Stott's first name. "I've heard there might be other offers on the table eventually."

"I don't doubt it," Natasha said, glimpsing up from her own reading.

Once they landed, Natasha guided Sif away, planning to visit the security office then continue on to supply to get her some clothes and toiletries. Fury hurried off to a meeting with Agent Hill. The Hellhounds, including Clint, went to discuss some pressing, classified issues.

Loki and Cami walked to the suite, unpacked their things and curled up on her new bed for more studying. "I wish I could remember things like you do," Cami said after awhile. She lowered the regulation manual in her hands, lying back against Loki's chest.

"Everyone processes information differently."

"Maybe you could explain that to some of my instructors," Cami said, throwing the book off the bed with an angry growl.

Loki noted where the book landed before wrapping his arms around her and leaning in to inquire, "Did that make you feel better?"

Her body shook a bit with her giggle. She nuzzled and kissed the side of his face. "You make me feel better."

He smiled, enjoying her touches. "But I am not a topic that is going to be covered on your test."

"I've got the systems down for the most part, but I'm never going to learn the other stuff in one night," Cami decided. "Why does S.H.I.E.L.D. have so many rules and protocols?"

Loki knew she didn't want an actual response from him. She was just venting frustration at what she perceived to be a task beyond her ability. He asked her to retrieve the book, waiting for her to ease back onto the bed and find her place before suggesting that she read aloud.

She read a very long paragraph about information security then turned to stare as if challenging him to think up a way for her to remember it.

"Tell me what it means," he said.

"I have no freaking idea!" She raised the book in preparation to throw it again.

Loki plucked it out of her grasp, chuckling at her exasperation. He held open the book, gesturing to a wide section on both pages. "All of these regulations are about protecting information so that only those with authorization can gain access to it."

"Okay. I get that, but how am I going to memorize all the super long designation numbers?"

"You don't," he said and went on to demonstrate how she could make educated guesses based off generalizations of the information. It was a tactic that he'd used many times with Thor and their friends. So, he knew its effectiveness.

Cami gave up on studying around eleven o'clock. "My brain is mush," she told Loki. "I'm going to bed now."

He went to his own room to work on his computer. He knew Fury was going to demand a full disclosure on the Jahla and other Loki situation. It seemed like a good idea to write up his own report that could be submitted for reference before they officially questioned him.

It would give him a good excuse to stay awake for a while. Sadly, he suspected Niflheim awaited him once he slept.

* * *

Clint couldn't be happier than to have everyone back together on the helicarrier. Arizona had been an adventure, but his attention had now shifted to Cami's impending graduation date, which was actually going to be Loki's graduation too at the rate he was assimilating their database.

Clint left the infirmary, having been cleared for light duty, and met up with Natasha coming out of the testing center. "How did she do?" he asked, feeling anxious. "She didn't have much time to study."

"She passed both," Natasha said, indicating the file in her hand.

"Thank God. Other than her gymnastics class and range, her mornings are now clear."

They started down the corridor at a casual pace.

"Do we have to insist that she test out of programming too? She really likes that class."

"Yeah, well—I'll need every spare hour I can get with her."

"You've got to leave some time for Sif too," Natasha reminded him. "You promised."

"I know. I know." It had been Cami's idea to ask Sif to come visit the helicarrier and act as an additional combat trainer for her. Fury and Odin had agreed, which left Clint no choice but to agree too.

"Pace yourself, Clint. It's only eleven in the morning and you're already stressed out." Natasha reached over to rub at his forehead, always one of his bad spots for tension.

"I'll relax in seven weeks when Cami's graduated," he snapped, causing an instant frown to appear on her features.

Natasha stopped. She grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop too. "Hey, you made a promise to me, Nick and Frigga that you wouldn't overdo it. This isn't a one-man show."

Clint figured he deserved the rebuke for being snotty. He gave her hand a soft squeeze, trying to tame both his annoyance and expression. "I'm not overdoing it. I feel pretty good," he said. "The doctor cleared me."

"For light duty only."

"Which is fine for training purposes."

Natasha released his hand. She started walking, so Clint continued on too, sneaking glances in her direction as they headed down to the suite. Something was going on with her. He could feel it and realized he needed to find out what it was sooner rather than later.

"Did you put in for birthday leave?" Clint asked.

"I did, but now really isn't a good time."

"It's never a good time, Nat. The world will always need saving." She didn't say anything, prompting him to keep talking. "Where did you choose to go? Moscow?"

"I booked a villa on the beach in Santorini for a few days."

"Nice. Greece is beautiful."

"Yeah. I figured I should try to relax a little, read a book, swim."

"Well, good. You deserve it."

She smiled, but there was still worry in her eyes.

When they walked into the suite, they were met with a chorus of laughter coming from the living room.

"Cami, you're cheating," Sif accused through her own chuckles.

"Only a little."

Clint and Natasha came around the corner to find the furniture had been pushed back to make room for a Twister board. Loki sat on the nearest couch with the spinner, calling out the moves while Cami and Sif stretched across the board, trying not to lose their balance and giggling like mad.

"Wow," Clint said, biting back a grin. "They still make this game?"

"They have lots of games for check out from supply," Cami told him. "Didn't you know?"

"I guess not."

Loki said, "By-all-means join them. It's been entertaining to watch."

"Uh, no," was Clint's immediate response.

"Oh, come on," Natasha prodded. "Relive some of your youth."

"You play. You are way more flexible than me," Clint said. "This wouldn't be smart in my current condition."

That's when Cami's foot slipped and she collapsed.

"Sif wins. Let's play again," Cami called out, climbing to her feet and offering Sif a hand up. Both women were laughing.

"Join us," Sif said to Natasha. "Please?"

"Sure, if the guys are going to be such killjoys. You'd think they'd like this sort of game if girls were playing."

Clint accepted Cami's test results from Natasha as she kicked off her shoes and stepped up to the edge of the board with Cami and Sif. Clint dropped onto the couch near Loki and looked over the specifics of the test scores as Loki called out the first direction, which was right hand on blue.

He tried to focus his attention on the file and how long he and Cami had until their private session in the gymnasium, but it was difficult not to notice Natasha's firm, rounded ass sticking up in the air in front of him. Since her attention was completely on the game, Clint let himself admire. He'd never grow tired of looking at Natasha's lean, powerful body; and admittedly, he'd been letting himself take more notice lately.

Of course, Loki was probably thinking similar thoughts about Cami. Clint turned to look at the God of Mischief, who returned the gaze with a wide smile and conspiring eyes.

_Yep, he's enjoying this a lot_, Clint thought. He wasn't annoyed though. How could he be when he could sit there innocently and get an eyeful of Natasha at the same time?

Loki called out, "Left hand on green."

"I think Sif has the advantage," Cami was complaining. "Her arms and legs are so long, she can make the difficult reaches."

"I'm heavier than you," Sif replied. "It takes more effort to keep from falling."

"But you're stronger than me too."

Within a few minutes, the girls were in a real tangle and Clint couldn't take his eyes off Natasha. Her lithe, strong limbs held her up with little visible discomfort or strain that he could see. As always, her conditioning impressed the hell out of him.

Loki called the next move, left foot on red, and again Cami was the first one to fall, nearly taking all three of them to the floor, but Nat and Sif managed to hang on while the younger girl moved out to cuddle up on Loki's other side. About four moves later both women strained to make the next combination and ended up in a heap on the floor.

"I didn't see who fell first," Cami said.

"Me," Natasha and Sif said in unison then exchanged surprised smiles as they got up.

Clint tore his gaze away from Natasha's curves to study the file again. "We should be leaving for the gym soon," he reminded Cami.

"Are those my test results?" Cami asked, leaning across Loki's lap to look more closely at the file Clint was holding. "Did I pass?"

Clint smiled. "Sure did." He gave her the file.

Cami sat back and held the paperwork so Loki could look too. Her brow furrowed. "Some of these individual areas are kinda low."

"You can study up later," Clint said. "Agents are always learning something new."

Clint managed to pull his sister away from the suite without her complaining or delaying their departure with endless kisses for Loki. In fact, Cami beat him to the door after a single farewell smooch.

"So, what possessed you to check out that game?" he asked. Clint kind of hoped Twister might hang around for a couple of days if Nat was willing to play again.

"I don't think you really want to know," Cami said, alluding to something sexual with only a coy glimpse in his direction.

"Loki wasn't even playing."

"Maybe he likes to watch," Cami teased.

"I didn't need to know that."

Cami laughed like she'd baited him into embarrassing himself. "Whatever. You're a guy. Don't act like you never look at girls."

To be safe, Clint chose not to respond.

Finally they arrived at the gym and their discussion turned to the business at hand. "Do you like your combat courses?" Clint asked being blunt.

"Not really," She shifted her gaze from his as if expecting this confession to anger him.

"Why? What don't you like?"

"People stand around watching and judging every move you make. The instructors act like drill sergeants, yelling and stuff."

He selected a pair of boxing gloves, which he tossed to her. Then he went to the punching bag to wait while she pulled them on and joined him. "Give it some hits," he said. Then he picked up where he left off with his questions. "What goes through your mind when you're hitting something?"

Cami gave the bag a few weak hits at first as she considered her answer. "I don't know. I guess I used to think it wouldn't matter if I got a hit on someone or not. I didn't feel that strong—not until Sif showed me that strength really comes from the core of the body, like the torso and hips."

"Good. Show me."

Cami paused to focus on the bag, then she let loose with a quick, concise punch that jolted the bag enough to make it swing a bit.

"That was a good one," Clint complimented. "Nice roll of your hips there." Cami struck the bag a few more times, her efforts prompting him to ask, "What's made the difference?"

"Well, Sif encourages me to think of the moves as part of a dance. It makes more sense to me that way."

Clint was impressed. The Asgardian had excelled with Cami where at least a half dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. trainers had fallen short.

"Guess what? Sif wants dancing lessons."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Mike mentioned to her that he knows some of the ballroom dances. I think she kinda likes him; and dancing is probably safer than sparring."

Clint nodded, amused at the idea. "Are you going to teach her?"

"I thought I'd show her a little bit of this and that. Just a thanks for helping with my confidence."

Clint thought more about the correlation between a fight and a dance. He said, "A fight isn't going to be choreographed per se. You can anticipate an opponent's moves if you can read them effectively though. We just need to train your brain to read and react instantly to an attack."

Cami frowned. "You've been watching footage from my class, haven't you?"

"I had to get a feel for what's been going on. I noticed that you hesitate a lot. You're a little too afraid of your opponents."

"I can't help if I'm afraid of them." She pursed her lips, acting hurt. "The instructors constantly put me up against the taller trainees. I'm small and don't like getting hit."

"Nobody does," Clint assured her, "but you don't have to be afraid. It's only pain that will ease. Besides, size doesn't usually matter. Natasha's your height when she's not wearing heels. She takes out big, strong guys all the time."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Okay. Time to focus," Clint said, gesturing to the bag. "We've got to get this hot wired into your brain."


	8. Chapter 8 - Bad to Worse

**Chapter Eight - Bad to Worse**

* * *

For Cami the rest of the week was full with a lot of the same thing. She spent several minutes each morning coaxing Loki to consciousness only to have him blatantly avoid her questions about it. Combat training took up most of her days, while early evenings were spent with Sif for dancing lessons. Studies and some team bonding activities (i.e. games, movies, etcetera) occupied her nights. The fact that she was on her period and miserable with cramps only added to the hectic, stressful nature of her days.

Aware of her discomfort and anxiety levels, Loki had a knack for appearing at just the right moment, whether it was to deliver a heating pad, painkillers, back rubs, kisses or a bowl of her favorite cookie dough ice cream. He was just as proficient at disappearing, usually in the process of removing some obstacle or vexation from her presence. He'd waylaid at least a dozen people on her behalf just so she could focus and deal with her own issues.

The Natasha birthday countdown had her especially anxious. So, Loki enlisted members of the Hellhounds, Sif and a few others to assist with the efforts, running diversions and manipulating situations to force Clint and Natasha to spend more time together. Since there was a general consensus around the helicarrier that Hawkeye and Black Widow should be together, it wasn't difficult for Hopper and his guys to get even more crew members to help with these covert operations.

"We've pushed them together all week long," Hopper said two days before Natasha's birthday when he came down to the suite to assist with Sif's dancing lesson. "I think we should keep them apart tomorrow."

"Do you think they suspect?" Cami asked, guessing that might be the reason for his suggestion.

"I don't know about that, but I believe a little forced separation will make a significant impact because they are getting awfully used to being together now. Clint's been watching her—even getting a little distracted. I think Loki's senses idea has really worked."

Sif stood at the center of the area cleared for dancing. When Hopper looked back her way, she waved him over, eager to begin. Cami put the music on and let Hopper lead Sif through a waltz while she sat back with a proud smile. Once Sif allowed herself to relax, she proved to be a natural dancer. Loki thought so too.

The group didn't hear the suite door open with the music playing. They were caught a little off guard when Agent Hill walked in with Clint and Natasha. Cami muted the music with the remote. Hopper and Sif separated, turning to give the new arrivals their attention.

"Where's Loki?" Hill asked, her look serious.

Loki stepped out of his room, but lingered in the doorway. Cami doubted Loki had purposely laid eyes on Maria Hill since he'd first arrived on the helicarrier. She'd been pretty verbal about not wanting him to join the organization.

"There is a party tomorrow night at the U.S. Consulate in Naples as part of the Health Education Summit," Hill told the group. "A number of celebrities, members of the medical community and important officials are going to be present—including a member of our World Council. In light of the recent act of violence outside the embassy in Milan, a S.H.I.E.L.D. presence has been requested. Though, we don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"Who is in play for this one?" Hopper asked.

"Clint and Natasha," Hill said, nodding in their direction. "Loki's with me. You two make a stunning couple on the dance floor. I'll take you both if Sif is willing to follow my orders."

Hopper grinned. "I'm in."

Sif straightened, thought a moment then nodded. "I would be honored."

"Best dress for everyone. Get what you need from supply. Bag your outfits and wear uniforms for the trip over. I need everyone on the flight deck in three hours. Pack for an overnighter."

Cami's gaze dropped to her lap. She tried to be motionless and silent, hoping no one would notice her sitting there secretly wishing to be invisible.

Loki asked, "Why isn't Cami coming with us?"

Maria noted and matched his hard tone. "Trainee Barton is not a member of the Mischief Makers any longer. She has been officially removed pending graduation and possible reassignment."

Cami peeked in Loki's direction, watching as he left the doorway to approach Hill. The emotions mingling on his features made it difficult to guess what he was going to do or say.

"Loki," Clint jumped in with an air of authority, "Commander Hill is your superior. You will mind your manners."

It took visible effort for Loki to choose his words. He was seething. "I'm going to speak to Director Fury."

"This is my operation," Maria said, attempting to stare him down as he halted before her. "I decide who goes and who doesn't."

"Then I suggest you take Agent Stott in my place," Loki said. "He speaks Italian and is very personable."

"You don't get this, do you?" Maria interrupted, losing her cool. "This is not a negotiation. You are going, and she is staying."

The tension was making Cami feel worse. She wanted to run for her room, but figured that would only demonstrate the sort of behavior that prompted them to kick her from the team in the first place.

"They have her best interests at heart," Natasha said to Loki. "Cami is not field combat ready. You know that."

Loki did not look willing or capable of backing down. Even from a distance, Cami could see his nostrils flaring and the anger in his piercing eyes.

"You will follow orders, or you will finish your stay with us in a jail cell," Maria threatened.

"He's going," Clint said, causing Loki's glare to shift from Maria to him.

Natasha repeated with equal firmness, "You're going."

Cami slipped off the couch, crossing to the defiant Loki and took his hand. "Let's find you a tuxedo."

He let her pull him out of the suite, though he didn't relax or speak until they were most of the way to the supply room and he found a quiet corner to pull her into. "Are you alright?" he asked, leaning down some, but also lifting her chin so she would meet his eyes.

"Nick informed me in Arizona that the Council wasn't pleased with me being on the team. I should have told you then so it wouldn't have been such a shock."

"Hmm; perhaps," he said, "but you didn't answer my question."

She realized that thinking about her feelings just made the pain worse. "Maybe we can talk about it when you get back."

Their delay put the rest of the team arriving at the supply room about the same time. Cami chose to stay with Loki and the other guys. She helped the attendants with the fittings, gave advice on how the men looked and openly ogled Loki.

Afterwards, her suitemates dragged her off to the cafeteria to grab some quick dinner then back to the suite so they could pack. "Come see us off," Natasha said as they gathered in the long hallway from the living room to the door and Cami showed Sif how to set her communicator.

Cami really didn't want to, but didn't put up much of a fight as Clint and Natasha pulled her along. "Don't worry," Clint tried to console her as they headed up top. "You'll be running missions right after graduation."

As they reached the flight deck, Cami stepped off the lift with them, but stopped as the group headed for the jet. Loki looked back with concern, but she waved him on, afraid that she'd say something to start herself crying or set him off again.

Cami turned to go below as Commander Hill exited the lift with her own bag. "Ma'am," Cami said with a polite, acknowledging nod of her head. She moved to go around Hill only to have the senior agent sidestep into her path, which caused an immediate spark of annoyance in Cami's chest.

"The sweet and innocent orphan routine gets old really fast," Maria said with a biting tone and penetrating stare. "You might have Fury, Clint and now Loki eating out of your hand, but none of your shit is going to fly with me."

"I'm not sure what I've done," Cami said, watching the lift doors close, stranding her with Hill.

"A few weeks ago you were stowing away on jets, skipping classes, stealing tools and components from the tech workshop and being Little-Miss-Attitude. Then Loki shows up and suddenly you're a perfect angel. Whatever your scheme is, Miss Barton, it isn't going to work. You'll get no more free rides. Get it right or go back to Iowa."

She was too stunned and hurt to respond. Obviously there was a time in the not too distant past that Cami would have expected to be lectured like this, but not now.

The lift returned, this time delivering Mike Hopper. "Everything okay?" he asked, stepping up to them.

"Fine," Cami said. Her gaze locked with Hill's; and she didn't dare break the stare first. If Hill still thought the worst of her, likely others in S.H.I.E.L.D. did too. No wonder the Council had her kicked from the Mischief Makers.

"Let's go," Hill said to Hopper. "They're waiting for us." Then she marched toward the jet, leaving Mike only a moment to give Cami a sympathetic look before he had to hurry off too.

Emotional and confused, the last thing Cami wanted was to return to an empty suite. She also couldn't take refuge on her perch at the stern of the ship with the deck crew preparing for the helicarrier to go airborne. She chose to wander the ship, which probably wasn't the best idea either. Enough people caught a glimpse of Cami looking distraught that it didn't take too long for concerned individuals to find out and track her down. In fact, she lingered in the doorway of the range when Gary Stott, Dan Kotter and Marcus Rodriguez found her.

"What?" Cami asked when they surrounded her.

"We heard," Rodriguez said, having to speak up to be heard over the gunfire from the range.

"It's not a big deal unless I let it be," Cami told them, though she kind of wondered if Marcus was talking about her being kicked from the team or left off the mission.

"Hey," Kotter said, "we just thought you might want to hang out."

Stott added, "There's no need for you to be alone."

Their offer eased a bit of sting; and she even considered it for a moment before letting them off the hook. "You guys don't have to babysit me."

"We're already at the range," Kotter pointed out. "We might as well get some practice in for your firearms final. We've collectively been firing guns for a long time and each have a slightly different take on them. Wouldn't it be nice to get some fresh perspectives?"

Cami looked into the room again. She'd been contemplating taking some practice shots before they arrived. "You guys know I suck at shooting, right?"

Gary shrugged like it was no big deal. "Maybe you just haven't found the right gun for you."

This comment made her smile and she relented, spending the next couple of hours with three of the agency's best soldiers, shooting an arsenal of different guns and collecting tips. Overall, it was fun to be at the range with friends instead of instructors for once and it showed in her results. Clint would have been proud of her improvement.

Cami returned to the suite about ten o'clock and got ready for bed. She didn't like being alone in the large space, her mind too burdened to allow any real rest to happen. Walking through the bathroom to Loki's room, she switched on the lamp and climbed into his bed beside the mountain of books collected there. His grimoire and computer were together near the top of the pile, making Cami smile at the contradiction. Eventually, Loki would have to put some of the stuff away, but maybe not until the mess impeded his ability to sleep.

She sat up against the pillows, pulling the spellbook into her lap to flip through the pages in search of a particular illusion. Cami wasn't reading more than the titles until she found the self-duplication spell. Since they were dealing with a Loki double, Cami guessed this was the spell Loki wanted them to know about. She started at the beginning of the page, forcing herself to focus on the difficult script with the goal to actually read the entire entry.

"That book isn't for children," a cold, yet familiar voice warned softly from the shadowed doorway of the bathroom.

Cami startled and slammed the book shut as a tall, lean figure stepped forward into the light given off by the bedside lamp. To her dread, the intruder, dressed in black leather with gold adornments, looked exactly like Loki.

_Shit! I'm alone with the Bad Loki,_ Cami thought and knew she'd be dumb to expect that he'd simply leave when he realized her Loki wasn't there.

"I assume I don't require an introduction," the double said, taking in the room with a bored expression.

Cami slipped out from under the covers and carefully climbed over the book pile to get down on the other side of the bed, inching toward the main door while his attention was averted. Then in an instant he disappeared. She spun around to find him standing between her and her intended destination.

"Apparently you are grossly ignorant about me and my abilities," he said, looking offended.

Cami ran the other direction, just to have him appear in the doorway of the bathroom so suddenly that she almost collided with him. He grabbed her by the arms before she could backpedal, pulling her against him. The height difference hadn't bothered her much before, but this Loki leered down on her with cold, fierce eyes. She yelped, pushing against his chest and leaning back, trying to break his strong hold on her. Then she began to scream, even though she doubted anyone would hear her down on the third level amongst the storage rooms and old laboratories.

He rearranged his grip to pick her up, delivering her to the bed and dropped her. She tried to roll away, knocking some books, the computer and the grimoire to the floor. "Enough," he declared as dark, shadowy tendrils snaked out of his sides to wrap around Cami's limbs, pinching and bruising her flesh as they dragged her back and held her down.

Cami continued to scream and struggle.

"Oh, shut up," Loki said with exasperation. He pulled a vicious-looking knife out of thin air and leaned over her. "At least wait until the real pain begins."

Somehow the appearance of the weapon did instantly silence her. Cami shuddered, feeling fear squeeze at her heart and lungs and churn her stomach.

Loki reached out with the knife and skimmed the line of her cheek, but didn't let the tip of the blade actually touch her. "Cami is your name, isn't it?" His intense gaze fell on her and stayed, awaiting the answer.

She didn't know if speaking to this Loki was a good idea at all. It might give him ideas about other things he might question her about. Of course, not answering him could escalate his agenda much quicker than she could figure out escape options.

"Yes," she said, trying not to sound as weak as she felt.

He shifted his attention to the scattered books, reading the covers and spines of some with a deepening frown. "Does he think he will defeat me with this rubbish?"

She hesitated, unsure what to say. "This stuff is part of his job now."

His chilling eyes rolled with annoyance. "He's a slave to the humans. How pathetic. Odin is so predictable with his punishments."

Cami decided the comments didn't warrant a response from her, though she did get an idea. Taking in a deep breath, she screamed as loud as she could muster for Heimdall.

Bad Loki chuckled. "Nice try," he mocked, "but I'm not stupid. My magic masks us from Heimdall's particular talents."

Cami fought her frustration and fear, hoping to not appear as vulnerable and stupid as she felt. "Why do you want to hurt me?"

He considered her for a moment, perhaps deciding if she was worthy of an answer. "I've made promises," he replied with a casual, almost lazy tone. "I might even keep them."

This answer didn't give Cami any information that she could use to her advantage. Short on options, she had little choice but to beg, which she hoped might buy her a little more time.

"Please? I haven't done anything to you."

"Little one, I won't kill you," he assured her. "Not yet anyway. I have need of you."

Cami's anger flared. "I won't help you hurt people!"

He smirked at her assertion. "I expect resistance, child. So, I wasn't asking."

He moved the knife along her left shoulder then down the edge of her breast while anticipation rose on his features. His left hand touched her stomach, making her jump. Then he gripped the bottom of her t-shirt, inching it up to reveal a glimpse of the smooth skin underneath.

"Hmm, very nice," he said, reaching for the waistband of her pajama pants next.

Cami tried to move away, but the tendrils countered her every attempt to get leverage, even tangling in her hair and gripping her securely around the throat.

As his fingertips curled around the waistband, his eager eyes shifted up to meet hers. "Now you can scream," he said, yanking down the material and thrusting the knife into her lower abdomen.

* * *

A loud banging jolted Cami awake. She looked around, slowly recognizing Loki's room. A voice yelled her name, accompanied with more banging coming from the distant suite door. She climbed off the bed, feeling achy and weak. Her head spun as soon as she was on her feet, forcing her to sit back on the bed.

"Tony, something must be wrong," the voice said. "Get it open now!"

Cami recognized the voice as Steve Rogers, but she didn't feel capable of making it all the way across the living room and down the hallway to the door to let them in. Instead, she waited for Tony to bypass their security measures, which either didn't take him long or she zoned out a bit before he managed it.

The door opened and she could hear them moving around inside the suite. "She's in here," Steve said from the bedroom doorway. He sounded relieved, yet frowned at the books scattered on the floor.

"You must sleep like the dead," Tony said as he stepped into the room. "We were knocking forever."

"Guys," Cami whined, pointing to the clock which read a little after one in the morning, "it's too late for a social call."

Tony crossed to the bed, pushing her hair out of her eyes to examine her features in the lamplight. His dark eyes looked so dramatic, narrowing then widening then going small again like he couldn't control them or something. "You look terrible," he accused. "Have you been drinking?"

"No," she spat back with quick offense, but couldn't remember what she'd been doing earlier in the evening. "Why are you here at this hour? Your friends are in Italy. Didn't you get the memo?"

"Not all of them," Tony said, smoothing her hair. "You're our friend too, grouchy. Operation Salvage Natasha's Party is underway. We're here to pick you up."

She stared at Tony stupidly for a bit then pleaded with Steve, "Translate, please?"

Steve looked a little amused by her lack of understanding. "Tony has been planning a big surprise birthday party for Natasha before she headed off to Greece. Well, now that she's in Italy, it's doubtful she'll fly all the way back here just for a single day."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"So we're taking the party to her," Tony jumped in, "and crashing Hill's mission in the process."

Cami perked up. "What? We're going to the health summit party?"

"They invited me months ago," Tony boasted. "I made some sizable donations to a few new research studies this year. So when I called the committee up, told them I would be in the area after all and asked for permission to have some guests come with me for the event, it was a done deal—no questions asked."

Barely keeping up through the haze of fatigue, Cami inquired, "How did you get this past Director Fury?"

"We can explain on the plane," Steve suggested. "Put some extra clothes together for you and Sif. I'll pack a bag for Loki."

"Guess that leaves me Clint," Tony said, moving for the door. "Is Natasha packed for Greece already?"

"Um, I think so." Cami pushed to her feet again, calling after him, "Hill's going to hate us."

"I don't care!" Tony yelled back, sounding almost too happy.

Steve took her by the shoulders. A candid concern steeled his gaze. "You're really unsteady on your feet. Did something happen to you?"

Cami felt a flutter of an emotion in her chest that could have been fear, but she wasn't sure. Her mind fogged over with the effort to remember. "Honestly, Steve, I don't know."


	9. Chapter 9 - The Consulate Party

**Chapter Nine - The Consulate Party**

* * *

The six-hour time difference was a killer. Agent Hill's team arrived in Naples around five o'clock in the morning local time. The team left the air strip by private vans, drove to the hotel, checked in and fell into their beds, the guys sharing one room and the girls another.

Clint's alarm clock went off at eleven and it took every ounce of his will to get out of the bed. Mike lounged in his own bed, stretching and rubbing his face while Clint grabbed clothes and shuffled off to the shower.

"Time to get up," Clint announced as he passed the couch where Loki had chosen to sleep rather than share a bed. Clint didn't get a response, but he didn't wait around for one. He managed a short shower so there would be hot water left for someone else then dried off, pulled on his boxers and uniform pants and vacated the bathroom to find Mike sitting at the end of his bed staring at a still sleeping Loki.

"Uh, Clint" Mike said, "he's not waking up."

Clint nudged Loki's shoulder. "Hey, Loki, it's time to get up already."

"I tried that—and shaking him," Mike insisted with an edge to his voice. "He did this in Arizona too, remember?"

Clint frowned. "Are they up next door?"

"Yeah, someone is. I heard their shower."

Clint stepped into the hallway and rapped on the girls' door. Maria answered in a field agent uniform, but with no makeup. Her dark hair was down around her shoulders and still damp.

"I need to talk to Nat," Clint said.

"Tasha," Maria called over her shoulder, "it's Clint."

Natasha padded up to the door still in her pajamas. "Is something wrong?"

"Come here a sec," he said and led her into the other room. Only after he'd shut the door behind them did he gesture to Loki and explain. "We can't wake him up. Did Cami tell you there was anything wrong with him sleeping or waking up lately?"

"No. She hasn't said a word." Natasha knelt down beside the couch so she could examine him more closely.

Clint collected his earpiece from the side table, slipping it in and activating it. "This is Agent Barton, I need a line to Trainee Barton."

"It's only five o'clock there," Natasha pointed out. "I doubt she's up."

"Uh, Sir," the operator said, "Trainee Barton isn't on board."

This news surprised him. "Then where is she?"

Director Fury's voice broke into the line, "Clint, she's on a classified mission with Stark and Captain Rogers."

He tried for a tone of levity, despite his frustration. "You're kidding right? I'm an eighth level agent," he reminded Fury. Very little was above his security clearance any more.

Nick didn't explain further. "Hang on the line. I'll see if we can patch you through to her."

While he waited, Clint informed his companions about the unexpected turn of events.

"Seriously?" Natasha asked, looking equally annoyed.

Finally a new voice came on the line, but it wasn't Cami. It was Tony. "Hey Clint. Your sister is asleep right now. Is this urgent?"

"Yes, it is! Who the hell gave you permission to drag Cami off on some mission without checking in with me? She's in training; that is why she isn't here with us right now."

"Whoa, try taking it down a notch. Steve and I thought she could use some distraction since you guys took off and left her alone with Evil Loki Look-a-Like on the loose. At least she's under our protection right now and getting some girl bonding time with Pepper."

_Oh God,_ Clint thought. _We did leave her alone. What the hell was I thinking?_ Surely Fury would have said if something had happened.

"You took your girlfriend? What sort of mission is this?"

"I'd like to tell you, but it's classified."

"Bullshit, Stark. Stop wasting my time and put Cami on."

It still seemed to take forever for Cami to pick up the line. She sounded groggy. "Hello?"

Clint decided he'd better calm his tone. "Hey. We have a problem with Loki."

"Oh no," was Cami's quick and animated response. "He's asleep, right? I totally didn't think about this when you guys left. I should have told you."

"Geez, how often has this been happening?"

"Every morning since the snake incident," she admitted with a hint of guilt. "Loki never wants to talk about it. He's annoyed that everyone knows his business all the time."

"Okay, we'll address that all later. Just tell me what to do?"

"I don't know. I touch his face and talk to him. Sometimes I cuddle up and give him some kisses. It always takes a while though."

Clint frowned at Natasha. "I'm definitely not doing that."

"I don't know if he'll wake up on his own," Cami insisted. "Someone has to try. Ask Nat or Sif."

Clint pulled the communicator out of his ear and passed it to Natasha. "Here, you talk to her." Natasha took the comm, placing it in her ear. Then she told Cami to fill her in. "Go ahead and get your shower, Mike," Clint said. "Cami says this could take a while."

Mike grabbed his stuff and went into the bathroom.

Natasha found Loki's communicator with his gear, set it and carefully placed it in his ear before climbing on the couch and stretching out on top of him and his blanket. "Alright," Nat said, sounding skeptical. "He's got his comm. Let's give this a try."

Clint sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Natasha caressed Loki's face and intermittently ran her fingers through his hair. Clint knew she had done far more with complete strangers on some of her missions, but this felt different to him. Right then, all he could think about was how much he wanted it to be him underneath her powerful body, her soft touches on his flesh and her breathing against his cheek. He wanted it very badly, more than anything he had wanted in years.

A knock sounded at the door. Clint took a moment to collect himself then opened it enough to see Maria. "Um, we're kind of having a team thing," Clint said in response to her questioning look. He did not want to have to tell Maria that Loki was pulling a Sleeping Beauty during her mission.

"Why? What's going on?"

"It's no big deal. Nat and I will handle it. We're his immediate supervisors," Clint said, hoping she'd think Loki was just throwing a tantrum or something similar. He kept his body blocking her view so she couldn't see Natasha and Loki together on the couch.

Maria's eyes narrowed, her expression stern as she reminded him, "We have work to do."

"We know," Clint said, nodding in agreement. "Just give us some time here, okay?"

Maria was none too pleased. "Sif is done in the shower. Tell Natasha she can have it when she's ready."

"Thanks. I'll let her know."

Clint shut the door. As he turned, the envious thoughts came rushing back again at the sight of Natasha with Loki. He could only imagine how angry he'd be feeling if Loki could reciprocate those touches. Trying to distract himself from the scene, Clint continued getting dressed, but it was hard not to look. At least Natasha wasn't kissing him as Cami had suggested.

After awhile, the water turned off in their shower; and Clint dreaded what Mike might think or say about the situation when he came out.

"Cami," Natasha said into the comm, "I don't think this is working." She appeared to listen to a response then climbed off Loki, pulling the communicators from both his and her ears. She dropped Loki's earpiece with his stuff and held out the other to Clint. "I've got to get ready. Let me know if we're saying anything to Maria or Sif."

Clint jumped back on the line with Cami as Natasha let herself out. "Sorry Sis. I don't know what else to do unless I try slapping him around."

_Right now, I bet I could manage it with minimal guilt,_ he thought.

"Is Nat still on the line?"

"No, she had to go."

"What room are you in? JARVIS got the hotel address from S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony says he can fly me there in about thirty minutes, but you can't tell anyone else we're coming."

"Do I want to know where you guys are and what you're up to?"

"It's a surprise. Please don't blow this for Tony. He's putting a lot of effort—"

"Okay. Whatever. We're in room one fifty six. Just get here."

When the girls were ready to head over to the restaurant, Clint sent Mike with them, promising to drag Loki along in a bit. Luckily, his co-conspirators were great at keeping Hill distracted.

Cami arrived at his door within minutes of their departure, trying to tame her windswept hair. She wore casual civilian clothes. Clint let her in, returning the hug she offered in greeting.

"Stark didn't really fly you across the world in half an hour, did he?"

"No, we jumped out of a moving plane though. That was pretty terrifying."

Clint chuckled before he realized she was serious.

Cami moved to Loki, tossing back his blanket and got comfortable on top of him. "Time to wake up," she said, cupping his cheek with her hand and kissing his mouth. "Come on. We can't keep doing this or you'll be grounded soon too."

Clint knew he should probably go shave and leave them alone, but that thought was overridden by his curiosity. If this worked, he wanted to know why Cami could manage to wake Loki, but Natasha couldn't.

Cami continued to speak to Loki, making promises and downright begging between the kisses and the caresses. "You're making me look bad," she accused playfully.

"Are we screwed?" Clint asked when too much time had passed in his opinion.

"No, I think I'm slowly getting through," she insisted. "He always takes a deep breath before he opens his eyes. Once he does that, I'm outta here. Best to not let him know I was here at all."

Clint tried to understand her logic. _Why all the secrecy?_ "If you say so, but..."

Cami had returned her attention to Loki. She slid down, lifting his shirt to kiss at his scarred abdomen above his waistband. "Fine," she threatened, "I'm going to suck your cock and you'll miss out on all the fun."

"Cami Rae!" Clint exclaimed, beyond shocked. He half-expected their parents to strike them both down dead from embarrassment.

Loki took in a sudden breath of air. Then, true to her word, Cami bolted from the room.

* * *

When Loki opened his eyes, he was convinced that he'd see Cami there. He thought he could feel her lingering warmth and kisses and smell a whiff of her shampoo, but it proved to be a cruel trick of his mind's yearning. His mood darkened, remembering that they'd left Cami on the helicarrier.

Clint stood nearby with an odd expression of discomfort. He said with authority, "Let's go. We're running late."

By the time Loki and Clint got to the restaurant, the others had finished up. Natasha ordered them some sandwiches to go, so they ate in the van. Every time Loki caught Maria looking at him during the ride to the consulate, she frowned and gave him dagger-eyes. He hadn't said more than a few sentences to her since they left the helicarrier and none of them had been impolite.

When they arrived, a member of the consulate staff walked them through security at the gate and into the building. "The party officially starts at seven," the older, dignified woman said. "The caterers will arrive at six and the musicians right after that." They took a quick tour of the kitchen area to familiarize themselves with the layout then moved into the immense ballroom where two large staircases lead up to a long landing. At the other end of the ballroom a decorative stone arch connected to the lobby and main entrance.

"We'll have guards at all entry points," the woman went on. "There are a lot of offices, storage rooms and such on the second and third levels so patrolling guards will help keep guests in the ballroom area."

Hill thanked the woman for her help then turned her attention to the group. "Natasha and Sif, head over to the caterer's and do a thorough inspection on the food, employees, vehicles, the whole thing."

"Yes, Ma'am," Sif said, accepting some paperwork from their escort.

Natasha's sole comment was an excited whisper to Sif about free samples.

Maria turned to Clint and Mike. "You two take a walk around the building and the neighborhood. Check out security measures and the guard placement for tonight. Make sure everything is sealed up tight."

Everyone took off to handle their assignments. Loki and Hill walked up to the security office where technicians monitored all the camera feeds for the building and grounds. The room had several computer terminals set up and they were both assigned one. Once assured they had the most current lists, Loki and Maria got to work confirming the background checks on all the guests, caterers, musicians and embassy staff.

Loki lost himself in the task, flexing his mental muscles and newly acquired knowledge to the point that he completed his lists ahead of schedule and moved on to help finish up Hill's.

"Oh," Maria said, suddenly breaking the hours-old silence, "Tony Stark is on this list."

Loki looked over, reading her screen. "Why is that surprising?" From what he knew about Stark, he was considered quite the celebrity and humanitarian.

"I guess it's not. They have Anthony Stark and five guests listed here. How am I supposed to confirm five unidentified people?"

"Is he daft enough to bring strangers to a function such as this?"

"Well, we are talking about Stark," she answered, sounding weary.

"What do you suggest?"

She gave the issue some thought. "We'll have to do spot checks when they arrive then. The team can keep an eye on Stark's guests until we give them the clear. Of course, he might not show at all. That would be typical of him too."

The team rotated out to the hotel in couples so everyone could get ready for the party and still have someone managing things at the consulate. The last ones to leave, Loki and Maria returned after the first of the guests had arrived. Loki wore a white tuxedo jacket and dress shirt with black pants, vest and bow tie. Maria wore a backless, curve-hugging, white dress with a long, revealing slit up her thigh. Loki kept close, but at least a stride behind her, feeling amused that she moved so quickly in such a tight dress and uncomfortable-looking high heels.

"Everyone report in," Maria requested into her comm, rushing through the kitchen for the ballroom.

"Nat and I are on the landing near the hall to the bathrooms," Clint answered. "The guards are all in place."

"We're near the tables of hors d'oeuvres," Mike replied next. "Sif says she recognizes all the catering staff. Oh, and she is already breaking hearts in this spectacular gold dress."

"Hey, why do you think I'm hiding Natasha up here?" Clint joked back. "The sharks are circling already."

With an audible sigh, Maria stopped in the doorway, appearing unsure of her next move. "Did we inspect the instruments as the orchestra arrived?"

"Yes," Natasha said, "and matched the musicians against the records."

A distinguished, older man's voice announced the arrival of more guests, during which, the orchestra stopped playing. Then the music resumed once the new groups had stepped through the stone arch to enter the ballroom.

"Shouldn't we mingle? Try to look like we're guests here?" Loki asked.

Maria didn't look at him, her gaze sweeping the large room. "The party just started. I'm not ready to let my guard down so soon."

Loki said with scathing sarcasm, "Let us just stand here. That won't look suspicious at all."

A waiter leaving the kitchens offered Loki and Hill a selection of finger foods from his tray. Maria shook her head, but Loki took one when he recognized his favorite food, gravlaks, being served with a yellow sauce on a thin cracker. He pushed the whole thing into his mouth, delighted with the combination of sweet and salty flavors and managed to grab another before the young man stepped away.

Maria rolled her eyes at his apparent appreciation of the food, but Loki didn't care. He'd only had a sandwich since dinner the previous evening. He knew Maria hadn't eaten all afternoon either so when he headed for the tables of food, she followed in a huff, sampling the various dishes as well.

The orchestra started into the first dance of the evening. Loki spotted Sif and Hopper strolling out to the center area of the room with a handful of other couples. While he watched them dancing, his mind drifted to Cami. _She would have loved this and been far better company than Agent Hill_, he thought.

Over the next hour, Loki followed Hill around with irritation, swiping gravlaks at nearly every opportunity and accepting hand-offs of champagne from his teammates, who apparently thought he would need the alcohol to get through the rest of the evening.

"Agent Hill," one of the security guards from the main gate called over the team line as Loki and Maria moved onto the landing from the right-side staircase, "you said you wanted to be informed when Mr. Stark's party arrived. We've confirmed he's got five guests with him."

"Roger that," Maria responded, stepping away from the crowd. She called to the security office. "Zoom in the cameras at the arch. We'll need close-ups and name recordings for the whole next group of arrivals."

Clint and Natasha stood a few feet away, speaking with a woman that Loki realized had starred in those Tolkien films that were so popular with their group. He scanned the main level below, finding Sif and Mike mingling. As Mike had mentioned earlier, Sif seemed to be collecting admirers of the male persuasion.

"Should I return to the security office?" Loki asked Maria, assuming she would want to jump on the background checks as they gathered the information.

"Wait," she said, gazing down across the length of the ballroom.

The music quieted and the announcer came over the speakers. "Iron Man, Anthony Stark, escorting Ms. Virginia Potts."

Nearly every form turned toward the arch and excited applause broke out as Tony and Pepper walked in. Tony wore a cherry red suit coat over a black shirt, tie and pants. Pepper wore an off-the-shoulder gown of matching cherry red.

"Oh my God," Natasha said. "They're here?"

Clint answered, "It appears so."

Loki noted the dislike for Stark evident on Hill's features. Tony was still basking in the warmth of the reception, waving to the crowd like he was leading a parade, of all things, when the announcer broke in. "Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard, escorting Dr. Jane Foster."

Loki froze as the crowd got louder.

Thor entered the ballroom in his finest Asgardian armor and cape, smiling and nodding like a fool. His pretty and petite date wore a modest, yet striking, gown of dark blue and silver and looked quite overwhelmed by the attention.

The Prince of Asgard. Why would Thor make such a distinction if not to drive home a point? "Excuse me," Loki muttered to Hill and turned away. He couldn't just stand there. His face burned and chest felt so tight.

Clint hooked Loki's arm as he walked by. "Whoa! What's wrong?"

"Leave me be," Loki snapped, pulling away. He didn't know where he intended to disappear to, but it certainly was not going to be the security office now that they would have captured his brother's picture on every screen.

"Captain America, Steven Rogers, escorting Miss Camille Barton," the announcer called out last.

_What? _ Loki walked to the railing on the other side of Clint and Natasha. He sought out the arch as the pain in his chest actually seemed to get worse. He saw Steve emerge from the entry hall wearing a black tuxedo with tails. At his side, Cami wore a strapless, black ball gown with a jeweled bodice and long flowing skirt. With her hair a cascade of curls and the lights sparkling off the gemstones on her dress, at her ears and around her neck, she was every bit as breathtaking as any of the Hollywood starlets in attendance.

"Wow, look at her," Natasha said with a proud smile.

"Beautiful," Clint agreed.

The music began again and Stark's group merged into the crowd. Maria appeared at Loki's side. "I suppose those background checks are unnecessary." She studied him for a long moment while he actively did the same to her. Loki realized from her stiff posture that she was as vexed with Cami's presence as he with his brother's.

Maria said with a light growl, "Just go. Our op has been trumped by the Avengers. You might as well enjoy some of your evening with her."

Despite the friction between them, Loki recognized the graciousness of her offer. Maria Hill wanted to succeed at everything she did and having to compete with the undisciplined genius of Stark, a powerful demigod and a super soldier was hardly fair. Instead of tightening her reins, she'd admitted defeat, but wasn't likely to easily forgive.

_We may be more alike than I first realized_, Loki thought. He offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Maria looked confused.

"If I'm to take Cami away from the good captain, shouldn't I at least offer him a replacement, someone with intelligence and maturity that will compliment his own?"

She fought a smile, seeming to have found humor with something he'd said, but took his arm anyway. "This doesn't mean we're friends," she warned him as they started down the steps together.

"Of course not. I'm sure you'll have me brought up on some sort of charges by graduation."

Maria chuckled. "If I don't shoot you by then."

"I appreciate the warning."

They stepped around a dense crowd to present themselves to Steve and Cami, who were standing near the food. "There you are," Cami said with bright eyes and one of her special smiles. "Were you surprised?"

"Indeed, I was," Loki admitted, wishing he could easily convey just how therapeutic her presence was for him, especially since his brother was around somewhere.

Agent Hill and Captain Rogers had spent those few moments exchanging compliments.

"Captain Rogers, would it be terribly out of line if I stole Cami away?" Loki asked.

"I don't mind," Steve assured him. "I have a mission update from Fury to discuss with Agent Hill, if she doesn't mind my company."

Maria considered him. "Can you dance, Captain?"

"Very well, actually. I've picked up some new skills in the last couple years."

Cami's smile dimmed as Steve led Maria away and she refocused on Loki. She asked with uncertainty, "Am I in trouble?"

"Probably." His eyes feasted on every detail of her. "I'm so glad to see you, my dear. You're unworldly beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, pushing up on her toes to give him a soft kiss. "You're such a charmer. Did you make nice with Commander Hill?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think she's planning to shoot me." The orchestra began a waltz while Cami chuckled at this confession. Her gaze drifted to the dance floor like gazing into a memory. Loki took her hand. "Do you want to dance?"

"Do you know how?"

Loki decided not to confess that he'd secretly been watching videos of waltzes because he had realized that dancing wasn't just a hobby for her. It was a passion that she'd abandoned in the pursuit of her brother's approval.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

Steve and Maria were already on the dance floor when Loki and Cami stepped out. Sif and Mike noticed them and abandoned their group of admirers to join in too. As the dancers continued to multiply, Cami's smile got bigger, especially when Natasha pulled a nervous Clint out there with them.

Large group dances weren't as common in Asgard as some of the other realms, but with Cami smiling so confidently at him, Loki found the rhythm and movement enjoyable. In fact, as they glided around the ballroom amongst a sea of colorful dancers, Loki didn't mind being swept up in the excitement.

"You're amazing!" Cami said when the music ended and the couples dispersed again.

Loki said with a soft smile, "I've got to polish my footwork a bit, but I was planning to take you dancing if we made it through graduation."

"I'll hold you to that," she promised. Then her smile seemed to deflate. "Is there somewhere we can sit down?"

Loki led her upstairs and past the patrolling guards into a quiet corner sitting room with soft couches. By the time Cami settled, she looked quite weary and a bit pale.

"You look tired," he said. "Was your trip here not agreeable?"

Cami shook her head, but offered no explanation. She drew him down on the couch beside her and leaned close to remove and deactivate his communicator. Then she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Tell me what to do," Loki persisted, once again taking her hand. "You have me worried."

She held off answering, compounding his worry. When she did speak, it was to bring up a new topic. "Tony rented a large house on the outskirts of the city," she said. "I have my own room. Will you stay with me there tonight?"

Loki sensed the meaning and significance of her request. "Are you sure it will be alright?" he asked, thinking more of her sudden fatigued state than Stark's agreement.

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

"I'll have to tell someone where I'm going. Natasha would be the best choice, I think."

Loki knew he should have been more focused on the chance of being with her after all this time and so many interruptions, yet he couldn't seem to get his mind past the possible obstacles, which made him wonder if this was going to be a very bad idea.


	10. Chapter 10 - Privacy Interrupted

**Chapter Ten - Privacy Interrupted**

* * *

It wasn't that long before a guard discovered Loki and Cami in the sitting room. "I believe your team is looking for you, Agent Murphy. Shall I escort the young lady back to the party?"

"That won't be necessary," Loki assured him. Cami slipped his communicator into his hand before standing and heading for the door. Loki switched the comm on and placed it in his ear. "Murphy reporting in," he said, aware that the guard was watching.

"We're having a quick briefing in the kitchen," Hill answered back. "Please bring Trainee Barton and join us."

Loki followed Cami out, catching up with her in the hall. "We've been summoned to the kitchen." They reached the landing and descended the staircase. Then, as they made their way through the crowds, Loki noticed that Thor and his date also headed that direction.

Cami gripped Loki's hand and flashed him a reassuring smile. She pulled him through the doorway to find Hill's and Stark's groups congregating in the main aisle, much to the dismay of the servers who had to go the long way around them to the ballroom.

Stark said from the center of the crowd. "Most of you know that tomorrow is Natasha's birthday. She once told me that she isn't a fan of big parties. So, I hoped she wouldn't mind a small gathering of friends with some sightseeing and other relaxing activities."

Natasha stood across the group from Tony dressed in a strapless, form-fitting, dark purple gown. Her wide green eyes and somewhat bewildered expression made good indicators that no one had mentioned any of this to her yet.

"I know this is a big surprise," Pepper admitted to Natasha. "Is it alright?"

Natasha blinked hard, responding in small, hesitant sentences. "Uh, yeah. It's fine. Sounds really nice. Thanks."

Hill reported, "Director Fury has authorized those of us who are S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel to stay with Stark out at his rental house through tomorrow, if we wish. Is there anyone who needs to return to the helicarrier tonight?" Since everyone looked interested in being invited to Natasha's birthday event, no one spoke up. "Okay. My team will pack up our stuff and head over to the house after the final security sweep."

Loki pulled Cami back to the ballroom as the group started to break up. His intended to avoid Thor, which worked. However, Clint and Natasha spotted them and followed.

"I'm glad you got to come," Nat said with a smile. Then as she leaned in to hug Cami, Loki caught the subtle scent of her rose perfume.

"You look great," Clint said to Cami, also embracing her.

"Thanks. Tony bought the dress and the jewelry," she confessed. "I don't know how I'm going to pay him back."

"I doubt he'll give it a second thought." Clint gestured toward the center of the room. "You two going to hit the dance floor again? There was a slow one a few minutes ago."

"I haven't had much energy today."

Clint focused on her features when Cami leaned into Loki, using him as a support. "Everything okay?"

"We'll see after I get some decent rest."

"There are quite a few celebrities here," Natasha said, trying to lighten the mood as Clint shot her a look of worry. "Is there anyone you want to meet?"

Cami wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Actually, I was thinking about heading back to the house early. I would like to take Loki with me."

Loki's attention settled on Clint who frowned before managing to get his expression under control. The elder Barton said, "Since this is Hill's op, she'll have to approve."

"I'll ask," Natasha offered, which Loki realized probably meant she planned to negotiate on their behalf. She walked away and activated her comm, requesting that Hill meet her back in the kitchen.

This left poor Clint alone with them. Considering that he purposely distracted himself with the surroundings, Loki guessed that Clint had reached the same conclusion about Cami's request that he had earlier.

"So, Nat wore your favorite color," Cami commented. "She does know you like purple, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm sure she does."

"Purple?" Loki softly teased.

Cami threw Loki a look that asked him to _be nice_. Then she said, "I think she looks gorgeous."

Loki agreed. "She's quite alluring."

Clint nodded, yet still searched the room for something else to focus on, which Loki took as a bad sign. "May I have a word with you?" he asked Clint, conveying respectful urgency. With a further show of unease, Clint agreed and they stepped away to the entry.

While Loki took a moment to choose his words, Clint pulled at his tie like it strangled him.

"You're upset," Loki said in a guarded tone. "Care to tell me why?"

"I don't know," Clint said with a shrug. "Cami is an adult. I shouldn't be trying to dictate her life. It's just—"

"You want to protect her."

"Yeah, I do." Clint met his gaze. "I consider you my friend; and I know you make Cami happy, but you're—really old."

_Why does that matter?_ Loki wondered. "I suppose it doesn't help that I'm also not human."

"I don't care so much about that," Clint insisted. "You know things and have done things that she'll probably never imagine. I mean, she's barely twenty-one, a little naive and falling for you hard. What if this relationship doesn't work out?"

"I cannot see the future," Loki said. "I want to be with her now. Can't that be enough?"

Clint sighed deeply, averting his gaze back through the arch to where Cami waited. "Love can be a dangerous distraction."

"And a powerful motivator. We haven't been hiding our attraction. Surely you saw this coming."

"It's not going to matter if I give you my blessing or not," Clint said. "We both know that Cami gets what she wants, one way or another."

Loki held his response for a moment to help make his point more poignant. "It will matter to me."

A profound revelation lit up Clint's eyes. A sudden smile stretched his mouth, even as he fought to keep it from running away with him. "Wow; suddenly you give a damn about what I think. Where did that come from?"

"It sort of sneaked up on me," Loki admitted, his gaze dropping to the decorative marble floor.

"So, what you're saying is that you consider me your friend too."

Loki hadn't been prepared to talk about his friendship with Clint. He agreed, yet with his composure strained, his simple "yes" was almost unrecognizable.

Natasha and Cami walked into the entry together. "You're clear to go," Natasha told Loki. "Steve promised Maria that he'd stay until the end of the party to help cover."

Loki gave an appreciative nod then looked back at Clint. He'd hoped to have reached a resolution before Natasha returned.

"We'll see you in the morning at the house?" Cami asked her brother as she gripped Loki's hand.

"Yeah." Then Clint said to Loki, "Have a good night," appearing sincere despite his discomfort.

Natasha wished them the same then Cami led Loki out to the waiting limousine.

"Your conversation with Clint looked a little tense," Cami commented once the limo had pulled out on the road. "Did you get it worked out?"

Loki stared through the window, not really taking in the view as much as trying to collect himself. "I hope so," he said. He would have felt better if he'd had the opportunity to gauge Clint's feelings over the span of a few days rather than minutes. Now that they were admitting to being friends, a whole new level of difficulty entered into play.

"He didn't threaten you, did he?"

"No." _At least then I wouldn't feel quite so unsettled right now_, he thought.

"What did he say?"

Though she had a right to her curiosity, Loki really didn't want to recount the entire conversation for her. That certainly wasn't a polite thing to do since Clint would have assumed some discretion on Loki's part.

"He thinks I'm too old for you."

Cami considered him for a moment. "Ouch?"

"I _am_ ancient by human standards," Loki said, still trying to decide how much Clint's complaint hurt his feelings.

"Do you feel old?"

"Sometimes," he admitted, "especially in this mortal form."

Cami cuddled against his side, looking sympathetic. As time passed, her eyes seemed to glaze over. Loki thought she might fall asleep by the time they arrived, but somehow she didn't.

"Miss Barton," the driver called back to Cami as the limo pulled up to an immense caramel and cream-colored house near the beach, "will your guest need a ride?"

"No. Thank you, Stefano." Cami stepped out as soon as the limo stopped, thanked the driver then moved up the stone path for the front door. Loki followed, watching her fish a key out of her bra to unlock the door and reset the house's security system as they stepped into the entry.

"This place is huge," she mentioned when Loki wandered a bit, peeking into the stylish adjoining rooms. "Tony says it belongs to a famous fashion designer that he and Pepper met at a party once."

Loki returned to where she waited, pulling her close. "Are we alone?" he asked, cocking his head to listen to the sounds of the house.

"The house and groundskeepers aren't coming back until after we leave."

"Ah, real privacy." He felt a little astounded that such a thing was possible any more.

"My room is upstairs." Cami took his hand, leading him to the large kitchen in the back of the house. There they climbed a tight spiral staircase to a room of mostly windows on the second floor, which Cami referred to as a sunroom. Though visibly fatigued, she kept moving past the available chairs set around small tables and even a wide chaise lounge, which would have been perfect for a long cuddle. A few doors down from the sunroom, Cami drew him into a spacious bedroom decorated in browns, reds and other warm colors. All of the baroque-style furniture consisted of a sturdy, dark wood.

Loki walked up to the lofty and sizable bed and spied a box of condoms on the nightstand. He wondered when she'd managed to purchase the protection since the brand clearly didn't match that which they'd procured for Clint and Natasha. He turned to look at her, choosing to comment on the furniture's dimensions rather than ask about the intimate discovery. "This bed seems a bit tall for you, my dear."

"I chose this room for the size of the bed," Cami insisted, shutting and locking the bedroom door. She approached then turned her back to him and requested, "Help me with my zipper?"

Loki obliged, taking advantage of her bared shoulder to lay a trail of kisses up to her neck, which he had discovered during their make out sessions was one of her most sensitive areas. Cami pulled out of his reach before he could get a good grip on her and stepped out of her dress and shoes. She gathered the dress and took the time to hang it in the closet. She also set her house key and jewelry on the vanity. This left her in only silky black underwear. Loki removed his suit coat, laying it over the padded chair in the corner then dropped his cufflinks and communicator into the pocket. He was eying the luggage lined up against the wall as Cami climbed up onto the bed.

"Steve packed you some extra clothes and stuff," she told him, taking a seat on the edge and reaching out to snag his waistband. "Check this out." She pulled him closer so he stood between her parted thighs.

"Certainly a convenient height," he commented slyly.

She spoke with a sultry purr to her voice. "I thought it would be an appealing option."

Loki lifted her chin and kissed her passionately, feeding off her enthusiasm as their mouths seemed to cooperate one moment, then just as quickly, taunt and tease each other. Their eyes made wordless challenges and even some promises that fueled their rising desire. She started to undress him, removing his tie, vest and shirt to reveal his chest, which she kissed and licked seductively. Her warm, wet kisses made his sensitive scars ache. It surprised Loki that the pain was so arousing. He went after her mouth again, only to find her a little sluggish in responding to him.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked pale as she tried to deflect his concern. "I'm fine," Cami said a bit too quickly, which led him to believe that she was lying or being overly optimistic. The truth was right in front of him.

"My dear," he said with care, coming to a less-than-desirable conclusion, "we should wait and try this some other time."

"Nooo," Cami whined, grabbing his hips to keep him close. "I'm okay,"

"You're tired and don't feel well."

Disappointment flooded her features. "I thought you wanted to."

"I want you very much," Loki affirmed. "And I will want you just as much when you're stronger."

She released him, sulking as she looked away. "Is this because of Clint?"

"No," he said with sudden, guilt-induced agitation. "I gave you my reason."

Cami drew her knees up, wrapped her arms around and rested her head on them. Her curls fell forward helping to hide her from his inspection. Loki knew her tears were coming before she started to sniffle. Because of his show of anger, she probably blamed herself for circumstances outside her control.

It pained him to see her upset. He gently touched the back of her head. "I'm sorry."

She made a nodding motion, but didn't come out from under the curls.

_Damn you, woman!_ Loki thought, frustrated with the inner turmoil that she caused him with so little effort. "We've had another small setback. There is plenty of time for this," Loki assured her. He leaned in, pushing aside her hair to kiss her ear and whisper apologetically, "What more can I say?"

She kept silent and wouldn't look at him, which proved harder on him than a verbal outburst would have been. He couldn't just take it back and pick up where they'd left off. In this instance, the _no_ had to stand. Loki eased onto the bed beside her. "Please," he begged, "you wound me with such treatment."

She sighed then turned her head to meet his gaze. "You are weird," she decided. "A normal guy doesn't turn down sex."

Loki confessed after a moment of thought, "In the past I have been very selfish with my partners."

She studied him, seeming to read his thoughts and feelings directly from his features. "Tell me about your other lovers."

This request baffled him. "I don't think we should talk about them."

"Why not?" she asked, sitting up to wipe at her wet eyes.

"Because I'm here with you now."

"You were banished to Earth as part of your punishment. Who knows where you'd be otherwise."

"While your point is well taken, there is no one for you to worry about."

"No one?" said a strong, resonating voice that made Loki's skin crawl.

Loki jumped to his feet, pulling Cami off the bed and behind him as he turned. On the far side of the bedroom a black, shadowy portal had opened, and standing at the threshold was the only woman that he had ever wished to forget. She had the blue skin, markings and red eyes of the Jotun, yet with the pointed ears and delicate features of a Light Elf. Her hair was long, full and white. She easily stood seven feet tall and had a hefty build exaggerated by the dark hides and furs that she wore. Behind her, the scene visible through the portal reminded Loki of the ice caverns of the Jotunheim, which led him to believe that Jahla's plans against the Jotun were still in motion.

Jahla suggested, "I could tell her about our night of passion."

"You were the biggest mistake I ever made," Loki declared with true hatred.

She didn't appear surprised or bothered by his scathing words. "Let me see your new girl," Jahla said, stepping away from the portal toward the bed.

"She is none of your concern!" he spat back, keeping Cami tucked behind him.

"Now she has become my concern."

The portal flickered, and to Loki's dread, his double stepped through. "I see we've interrupted a private moment," the other Loki said as if he realized an apology was in order, though he didn't offer one.

"What do you want?" Loki kept Cami behind him. Panic tightened his chest and tensed his limbs because he and Cami had no weapons, magic, or backup. If only his communicator wasn't in his coat on the chair beside their uninvited guests.

The double started a slow stalk around the bed. "I bet it feels good to be talking again. That was quite a risk you took to break the curse, especially after I warned you about getting into trouble. I don't think you took me seriously when I said your little pet would suffer."

A strong anger rose up in Loki. "If you lay a hand on her—!"

"Save your useless threats," the double interrupted him. "Cami and I have already been introduced."

Cami's grip on Loki's arm tightened as she peeked out at them. "No, we haven't."

"You just don't remember." He focused his intense gaze on her. "Let's show him the product of his insolence, shall we?"

Loki tensed as the double made a gesture toward Cami, but it wasn't a casting motion. He was, in fact, removing a spell. Cami grimaced and collapsed against him. Loki eased her to the floor finding her skin covered with long, dark bruises that curled around her limbs and throat. A blood vessel had broken in her left eye, flooding it with red. The worst discovery, though, was the dark and inflamed T-shaped scar peeking up from the top of her underwear that stretched from hip to hip and appeared to go all the way down to her pelvic bone.

Cami's eyes widened and features contorted as terror overtook her at the sight. "He cut me open!"

Loki grew equally horrified and furious when he realized the double had used an illusion on her to hide the injuries. He held Cami as she started sobbing.

"She is an innocent!"

"You were warned," the other Loki said. "You won't heed my threats if I don't follow through on them." He pulled a blood blade and took a moment to admire its cruel design. "Have you learned your lesson now?"

Loki rested his forehead on Cami's, trying to gently shush her as he trembled with rage. "Have you no mercy at all?"

"You know I don't," was the double's cold reply. He walked right up to them, holding the blade close to Loki's face. "I would carve you into pieces if I could, you pathetic weakling. Unfortunately, that will not be today." He seized Loki by the throat with his free hand, pulling him away from Cami and lifted him off the ground.

Loki tried to break the much stronger hold, realizing that he was being choked into unconsciousness.

* * *

The books on the bed, his blade, her blood and endless, indescribable pain—Cami couldn't easily sort the vivid memories from the current reality. With her vision blurred by tears, she could barely make him out, the one who had hurt her and relished every moment of her torment. Confident that the Bad Loki wasn't paying attention to her, Cami kicked at his knee, causing it to buckle and brought both men crashing down beside her. The kick also sent a wave of pain through her lower body, which slowed her down as she rolled onto her knees and crawled for the bedroom door.

Bad Loki growled, grabbing her foot and yanking her off balance. Cami fell heavily on her stomach and chest, shrieking into the thick fibers of the carpet as pain tore through her. The struggle continued near her feet. The men exchanged blows while her Loki coughed and tried to breathe. Unfortunately, the fight ended quickly.

Cami attempted to rise from her prone position, screaming for Loki, but got nowhere as more pain paralyzed her movements. Then she felt a frigid touch on her lower back.

"She is bleeding inside," Jahla said, apparently speaking to Bad Loki. "We will take her."

"And him?"

"Heal his injuries and leave him."

Jahla's cold, strong hands rolled Cami over and picked her up. Cami caught only a glimpse of Loki's unconscious form on the floor before she lost sight of him. She cowered as the Jotun woman held her close, examining her with critical and intimidating red eyes. Then Jahla carried her across the room and through the portal.

The temperature dropped from the bedroom to what appeared to be an ice cave. Cold air stung Cami's nasal passages, throat and lungs. It bit at her exposed flesh, causing her to tense up and further agitate her injuries. She closed her eyes and huddled against Jahla's furs desperate for warmth.

"If you wish to live, you cannot sleep," the Jotun woman told Cami, shocking her eyes open with a single icy touch to her forehead.

They entered a passage, which let out into another cave. Here Cami could see signs of habitation, including a small fire, cooking pots and stone dishes. Near the fire was a pile of furs, which is where Jahla laid Cami down, taking the time to cover her before rummaging through supply packs fashioned from animal leather and some jars and pots lined up along the adjacent wall.

Her brain muddled with pain and chill-induced lethargy as violent shivers rocked her frame. Time passed. It could have been minutes or an hour and Cami wouldn't have trusted herself to know the difference. Jahla moved about the cave, collecting things and bringing them back to the fire. Every so often she would lean close to tap Cami's cheeks or forehead to keep her awake, her frosty fingers, sending jolts of cold into Cami's system that worsened her shivers and aggravated her wounds.

Bad Loki strolled in to stand at the edge of the fur pile. Cami tensed as images of his torture flashed through her mind. The pain inside her abdomen seemed to pulse with these recovered memories.

"How much blood do you need?" he asked Jahla.

"How many do you have in your little prison?"

"Including the mages?"

"No."

"Only the children. The others have perished." This answer was displeasing it seemed as Jahla uttered some harsh words that Cami didn't understand. "I can bleed the children," he suggested to her, "but the mages' blood is still stronger by far."

"Must I remind you? She is a Sensitive."

He looked annoyed by this reprimand. "Should I go find a more suitable sacrifice on Midgard?"

Cami listened to this interaction with growing horror. It was distressing enough that the Bad Loki stood mere inches from her, but he also spoke of imprisoning and bleeding children and finding a sacrifice, which caused a nagging tightness to form in her chest and stomach.

Bad Loki noticed her cringe at his words. A cruel smile curled the edges of his mouth.

Jahla said, "Give me her dagger."

"It won't be enough." He pulled a hauntingly familiar knife, flipping it so he could catch it by the blade and handed it over. "You used most of her blood already."

The blood witch grew stern. "Do not begin to assume you understand my craft."

"Be respectful in front of the patient," he said in a tone that was eerily calm, yet telling in comparison to the poisonous look he offered.

"You two are horrible!" Cami accused, feeling too sick and weak in their presence to really consider possible consequences of being so verbal.

"Little girl," Bad Loki said with amusement, "your opinion hardly matters. Be grateful that a sorceress as powerful as Jahla is bothering to save your pitiful life."

Jahla did not care for his compliment, it seemed. In fact, she looked annoyed with both of them. "Fill a blade with mortal blood," she commanded. "Try being less zealous collecting it this time."

"Sometimes you take all the enjoyment out of my work," the double complained. He cast another menacing look over at Cami, which made her cower, then left through the same passage he had entered by.

Jahla moved closer, setting down the dagger and a bowl with some paste she'd been mixing and mashing stuff into. She threw back the furs, exposing Cami's flesh to the freezing air.

"Why are you trying to help me," Cami asked, "after your Loki did this?"

Jahla did not acknowledge her question except to say, "He is not my Loki."

Cami didn't understand. "He is working with you. He follows your orders."

"Our agreement does not make him mine."

Cami didn't know what to say. She wished she was a little closer to the small fire and could curl up in a ball. It certainly didn't help when Jahla used her frigid hands to push the silky underwear off her hips so she could rub the paste on her injury. The paste made the irritated skin sting so terribly that Cami screamed and tried to block Jahla from applying more.

"It will numb," the Jotun said, batting Cami's hands impatiently out of her way.

Grabbing handfuls of the fur pelt beneath her, Cami shivered and suffered while hot tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. Finally the area began to numb and infection oozed out of the scar in the form of yellowish-white pus, which Jahla wiped away. Then the sorceress shocked Cami out of her delirium before leaning in with the dagger in hand.

"No!" Cami grabbed Jahla's wrist.

"Be still or I will bind you to the altar," Jahla threatened, indicating a stone table against the opposite wall. Then she pulled out of Cami's grip.

There was movement and sound in the shadows of the passage, which drew their attention. Loki stumbled forward into the light of the fire, landing on his knees and hands on the hard rock. He wore the suit pants and formal shirt from the party, though his shirt was untucked and only partially buttoned. As he glared over his shoulder, Bad Loki entered the cavern from behind.

"I told you to leave him," Jahla said with a growl.

Bad Loki leered at her, but didn't speak.

Loki climbed to his feet and hurried to Cami's side, looking her over with worried eyes.

"She's going to cut me." Cami whimpered, not expecting that he could do much about it.

"It's alright, my love," he said and cupped her cheek. His touch felt hot against her cold flesh.

Jahla watched him with cold, critical eyes. Slowly she lifted the dagger again and turned her focus back to Cami. Loki gripped Cami's chin, turning her face in his direction. "Look at me," he ordered her with gentle insistence. When her eyes tried to move back, he blocked her view with his hand.

Cami felt the jolt of the blade piercing her flesh, but the area was so numb, she didn't feel any pain. She tried not to listen to Jahla's low mutterings and just concentrate on Loki. Her voice broke as she asked, "Why is this happening?"

He shook his head, caressing her hair and face. "I don't know, but we'll be alright as long as we do what they ask."

"I'm so glad you're here," Cami admitted.

He kissed her forehead and took her hand in his. "It's almost over, my love."

Jahla turned to him. "I need the blood you collected."

Cami was confused to see her Loki pull a blade out of the air and casually hand it to the Jotun. She yanked her hand out of his grasp. "You're not my Loki!"

All signs of caring and concern melted from his features, leaving him looking arrogant and overly-pleased by his deception. The black leather replaced the dress shirt and pants in a blink of an eye; and the illusion he'd made of himself flickered and disappeared.

"I hate you!" Cami cried, turning her head from his gloating expression to catch Jahla wiping blood from her body.

He snatched her wrists, pressing them down on either side of her head as he leaned in close enough to touch noses. "You are an impertinent and ungrateful little girl."

"I should have known you weren't him. Loki never uses the word _love_ with me."

Jahla nudged him out of the way so she could lay the furs back over Cami. "She must rest. Wrap her up and take her to him."

"I still have to suppress her memories."

"Then do so." She collected her things and moved back to the fire. "No more tricks."

The double looked back at Cami, his eyes once again cold and intense as he reached his hand toward her. Cami pulled away, but didn't have far to go without evacuating the cover and warmth of the furs. With his long reach and quick reflexes, he caught her by the hair and held on tight while she pulled at his fingers and scratched the back of his hand.

"Stop!" she screamed at him.

"No," he said, grabbing her arm with the other hand and pulling her back to him. He clamped his hand over her forehead and dark energy seeped out from the edges of his palm. "You cannot deny me what I want," he said as he punctured her mind with his will.


	11. Chapter 11 - At Long Last

_Author's Note - The last segment of this chapter is rated MA_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven - At Long Last**

* * *

"Something wrong with your champagne?" Natasha asked, joining Clint in the corner of the ballroom farthest from the orchestra.

Clint looked down at the glass in his hand. He guessed that he'd been carrying it around for almost an hour. "No," he said, but still didn't partake of any.

Natasha stepped even closer, right into his personal space, and stared until he met her gaze. "You're moping."

"I just have a bad feeling."

Her expression softened. "Explain it to me."

He studied the patient concern on her features while collecting his thoughts. He wanted to make sense of them before he spoke, but was having difficulties. "It feels like we're missing something important."

"Our schedules have been thrown off lately," Natasha said. "Training Loki and Cami has us a little out of the loop. It will work itself out."

"No, that's not it." Clint shook his head. "This feeling, it nags at me like I've forgotten."

"Forgotten what?"

"I don't know—and that worries me."

"Hey," she said, straightening his tie that he kept fiddling with, "we're in Italy and don't have to work for my birthday. Can we just try to have some fun with our friends?"

"Uh, yeah," Clint said, casting a fleeting, guilty glance at his champagne. "I'm sorry. Guess I'm just stressed out."

She rubbed at his forehead, hitting the tense spot exactly.

The party committee announced the last dance of the evening and the orchestra started a slow, romantic melody. Couples flocked to the dance floor, including several members of their combined group.

"Is Hill mad about all this?" Clint asked, noting Maria and Steve standing together, watching the room.

Natasha stepped back. "She didn't say so, but—you know."

Clint realized that he'd broken the moment by changing the topic. Now that it was done, he wished he could undo it. Perhaps if he acted fast enough, he could recover. "You look great," he said, his eyes skimming down her figure and back up to her eyes again. "I should have said so earlier."

Her smile brightened as she took the chance to ogle him back. "You look good too, handsome." She took his champagne, drank half of it and handed the glass to a passing waiter. "Let's go, Barton," she said with authority and pulled him out to the dance area. "I'll even let you lead."

Clint drew her close, gripping her waist as she skimmed her hands up his chest and around his neck. They started to move. He stared into the depths of her intricate green eyes, drawn in by the balance of confidence, cunning and curiosity he could see there. In a way, he was almost afraid of her, which intrigued Clint since he trusted Natasha Romanoff more than anyone else he knew.

"That's a pretty intense look," Natasha commented. "Everything okay?"

_No, it's not_, Clint thought. His gut told him that there was something big going on, yet he allowed himself to be distracted by her. The lights reflected off her eyes like they were jewels. He admired the gentle curve of her bared neck down to her shoulder and the way the purple dress hugged her toned and sensuous body. Her subtle perfume tickled his senses and made him want to track down the exact spots on her flesh where she had applied it so he could inhale the concentrated effect.

"Well?" she asked when he stared at her too long instead of responding.

He stopped moving, the music forgotten as his mind contemplated an important question. Did he have the guts to speak his heart to the woman he desired above all others, even if it could jeopardize their personal and working relationships?

"You wore this purple dress for me, didn't you?" Clint surprised himself with the question because his tone sounded so serious. He wasn't teasing or lightly flirting like they did on rare occasions.

Her steady gaze and smile faltered enough to catch his notice. Natasha fidgeted just a bit in her hips, which he felt with his hands. She didn't say no, make a joke, or even flirt back. He'd stunned her. Clint hated himself for disarming her like that, yet felt some exhilaration at the prospect of what the accomplished feat could mean.

Seconds passed in heavy, meaningful silence, before Agent Hill broke the comm line. "Barton, Romanoff, the guards are starting to clear the second level. Supervise their efforts."

Clint had to move his hand from Natasha's waist to activate his earpiece. "Roger that."

"I'll take the left corridor," Natasha said to him. She took advantage of the broken hold to step back. She pivoted, heading for the stairs and regaining confidence in her frame as she got farther away from him.

* * *

Hel made Loki wait among her subjects for what seemed like days before she made her appearance out in the wastes. She hovered on the mists as before, seemingly more interested in staring than making actual conversation.

"I am tired of this game, Hel!" Loki called out upon her approach. "Tell me his plans."

His anger didn't appear to affect her in the least. She spoke in a flat, factual tone. "He wants you guarded from death. Nothing more has been asked of me."

There had to be more to it than that. His daughter was no simpleton or pushover. "It cannot be that simple. You have to tell me what he promised you in return."

"I do not," she said with determination, the weight of a frown dipping the living half of her mouth.

He muffled a growl, trying to maintain some manner of civility with her as her capacity for stubbornness surpassed even his at times. "I am your father. Shouldn't I know what my daughter desires?"

"Your interest after all this time is far from touching."

Her words stung him and he doubted he masked it very well since her eyes studied him with an intensity that indicated she _could_ see him, even though he appeared to have no physical form from his own perspective.

"I sense changes in you," she said with deep consideration. "Why?"

It hardly seemed fair for him to answer her question when she repeatedly refused to answer his; yet, he found the words slipping out much easier than he would have expected.

"I had an unfortunate run-in with a blood sorceress."

Hel drifted a little closer, her interest piqued. "What happened?"

"She tore me apart. She took my strengths and gave them all to that perverse double of me."

"But where did this double come from, Father?"

"I conjured him as nothing more than a complex illusion, and Jahla used my blood and seed to give him life. I believed her when she said she could permanently free me of Odin's spell by moving it to the double. He was meant to be the one who was weak, not me."

"So he is half of you. Your soul has been divided."

"More than half, I'd say," Loki muttered, a wounded bitterness to the words. "He has all my magical abilities and others that he's developed on his own."

In that moment, she almost looked a little sympathetic. "Though blood magic is very powerful, it cannot do to a soul what you are claiming," Hel lectured. "You speak of spirit magic."

Loki pondered the possibility as spirit mages were so rare and often ostracized in the Nine Realms. "How do you know this?"

"Is my magic not similar? I control the spirits here. This woman must have some power over living souls."

"Blood and spirit magic;" Loki pondered aloud, "how would someone counter such a combination?"

Hel drew up the hood of her cloak, indicating her intention to depart.

"I need your keen insight on this matter, my dear. Please?"

"I am done here. I have the information I need."

"What information?" he asked with renewed irritation. Just his luck that his own daughter was using him when he thought she might really care about his plight. "Wait!" Loki pleaded when she started to turn away. "He has hurt people I care about. Let us negotiate our own contract."

Hel paused, swaying on the mists. "He will not hurt her again," she said in a soft, almost tender tone that was a bit uncharacteristic of her and caught Loki off guard.

"Explain," he demanded.

"He said she's beautiful and that you prize her above all others."

"What part does Cami play in your bargain with him? What do they want from her?" Long moments passed in silence with only the random groans of the dead to fill them. "Hel," Loki pressed, "give me an answer."

She shook her head, though the bulk of her hood hid most of the movement. "I hope you truly have changed, Father," Hel said, again leaving him under the watchful eyes of the dead.

* * *

Cami stirred awake because her bladder ached with a strong insistence. She turned on the bedside lamp, threw back her covers and slid down to the floor. Despite the earliness of the hour and the urgency to relieve herself, Cami decided to take the time to pull her robe out of her suitcase rather than risk bumping into anyone while roaming the house in her underwear.

Someone had set Loki's luggage from the hotel outside her door. After tripping over the sturdy bag in her rush, Cami hobbled off to the bathroom, only gathering the troublesome piece up when she returned, feeling much better aside from her smarting foot.

Back in the room, she set aside the suitcase and discarded her robe on the pile of Loki's dress clothes. Loki was asleep, of course, and likely to remain so until she woke him. The thought of _rousing_ him brought indecent plans to mind, leading Cami to realize that she had no memory of them having sex. In fact, her lack of memories after the party made her worry that she'd fallen asleep on him. This theory seemed even more likely when she spotted the unopened box of condoms on the nightstand.

Cami climbed onto the bed, shifting covers out of her way until she reached Loki, dressed only in black boxers. Cami straddled his hips, leaning forward to stretch out on his chest. She had to strain just a little bit to reach his mouth, the reality being that he not only had long legs, but was also longer in his torso.

"You know," she said, starting to caress his face, "these little talks can be nice. I can tell you stuff that I don't want to share with anyone and my reward is that you wake up, being all sexy and sometimes sweet—and for some reason you only wake up for me. It's such a romantic notion, Loki the Sleeping Prince. You're all mine until you close your eyes. Then the evil sandman drags your consciousness back to his domain." Cami knew she was being ridiculous, but Loki wasn't in a position to care or judge her little fantasy.

"I think I dreamed about the Jotunheim last night," she told him. "Everything was rocky and covered with ice. The cold seemed so real; and I felt a profound sadness there, which made me think of you." She kissed the side of his mouth. "I wish I could help you," she said, staring and studying his relaxed features, "but you need something that all the hugs and kisses in the world can't replace. That's why..." She paused, feeling too emotional to admit out loud that she knew he would be compelled to leave her some day and she wouldn't be able to change his mind.

His sudden, deep intake of breath startled her. She sat back to give him some room, thinking that since Arizona, he'd never awakened this fast. Loki rubbed at his face and opened his eyes, focusing on her. "Are those tears?" he asked, gripping her legs to help him sit up. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head of messy hair and wiping at her leaking eyes. "You caught me confessing. I tell you secrets while you're asleep."

He smiled with uncertain amusement then tempered his look with concern. "You cannot tell me these things while I'm awake?"

Again she shook her head. There were no good words to explain the significance of the ritual to him.

"I don't tell you things too," he admitted, looking down between their bodies and rubbing her thighs.

"I'm sure you'll tell me when you're ready."

His gaze skimmed up her front. He looked at her as if he was seeing something he'd not noticed before. "I've never met anyone as accepting as you."

Cami shrugged, distracting herself smoothing his hair. "I know I can't always help or change things."

"But you do change things, all the time. Clint and I joke about how Cami always gets what she wants."

"I don't think things happen just because I want them to. There are smarter and wiser people around than me. Sometimes I just have to point out a fact or possibility for someone to make a different call."

Loki took a hold of her chin as he drew in close enough to almost kiss her. "You've said on more than one occasion that you don't think you're very smart, but I easily recognize your intelligence. You _are_ capable of great things. Perhaps you should stop trying to be what others think you should and trust your own instincts."

She stared, feeling unnerved and vexed by his words and haunting eyes. It wasn't that long ago that she gave him a pep talk, trying to make him see just how useful he was despite the loss of his magic.

"Sometimes you have to play by the rules if you don't want to end up alone."

"You won't be alone," Loki tried to assure her.

Cami drew back to climb off him. She settled on the mattress, turning away onto her side.

Loki curled up against her back, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing at her shoulder. "I apologize for the lecture. Though, I meant every word."

Cami mulled over his words, noting the loss of his touch and the slight shifts of the mattress as he left the bed. "Bathroom is to the right," she said, assuming that's where he headed as he stepped into the hallway.

Loki returned a few minutes later, gesturing to the clock as he sat beside her. "Isn't it a little early for us to be up?"

She nodded, but frowned. "I wanted some time alone with you before the day got crazy. You woke up really fast this time."

"Then I was obviously eager to be with you too."

"I'm really sorry about last night."

"Why? What happened?"

Cami picked up the box of condoms and held it out to him. "Apparently nothing. I must have fallen asleep or something. Why don't you know?"

He took the box, giving it only a few seconds inspection. When he spoke, there was an edge to his voice. "My memories of last night are scattered and unclear."

"Oh."

"Perhaps I had too much champagne."

Cami felt sorry for him because he looked so confused. She pulled him down next to her, pressing front to front.

"I remember that you weren't feeling well at the party," he said. "You look much better now."

Cami ran a hand through her tangled hair. "I think you have an ulterior motive for that compliment. I know I look terrible."

Loki looked sexy as hell as he smiled at her. Cami let him shift positions, settling his larger frame on top of hers. "I'm ready to make up for last night," He said, leaning in to deliver slow, warm kisses on her shoulder. "Any objections?"

Cami could not deny the immediate rush of arousal that he caused within her body. If she hadn't known he was mortal, she would have sworn that he'd just cast a spell on her.

* * *

_~This segment of the chapter is rated MA~_

* * *

"I haven't done this in a while," Cami warned. "I guess I'm a little nervous, and I might not last long the first time."

Since she brought it up, Loki felt within his rights to ask, "How long has it been?"

"Over a year."

It had been even longer for him, almost two years. He wouldn't admit that to her unless she asked. He gave her a kiss, letting it deepen and grow of its own accord as Cami's nerves settled. With time they fell into the comfortable familiarity from their make out sessions, yet with the excitement of just how far they were planning to take their passions.

Loki unhooked her strapless bra, tossing the garment aside before shifting down to enjoy her supple breasts. He stroked and sucked her pink nipples in turn to get them hard then further teased the nubs with his tongue while Cami trembled and her breathing quickened. She squirmed beneath him and he could tell she was trying to untangle her legs from his. He moved off of her and stretched out against her side, nudging apart her thighs with his right hand. He cupped her mound through her damp underwear, giving her a caress, which made her jump.

"So sensitive," he commented with a smile, leaning in to capture her mouth with a penetrating kiss. Her tongue wrestled with his as she bucked against his hand.

Loki slid Cami's panties off her body, depositing them over the edge of the mattress, then he slipped between her legs to admire her delicate folds glistening with natural lubrication. Eager to explore, he leaned in to touch and taste her with his tongue. Her intoxicating scent filled his nostrils as he licked along her slit, causing Cami to shudder. Up and down his tongue went, feasting on her plentiful juices and awakening every nerve as he ended each pass at her sensitive bud, which he flicked and stroked. Cami's breathing came and went in rushes, her body tensing and legs trembling to either side of his head. Then Loki delved deeper, pushing his strong tongue through her opening to first caress and then assault her tender tissues.

Cami gasped, digging her heels into the mattress. Loki gripped her thighs in his arms as she tried squirming away from him. He wanted to push her just a bit past what she thought she could handle. Moments later, her whole body tensed and she bucked violently in orgasm, smothering her screams in the pillows.

"Oh my God," Cami said, panting and shivering in the aftermath. "You are amazing."

Loki felt tremendous accomplishment from her reaction. He licked the last of her juices from his lips and crawled up her body, purposely pressing the bulge in his boxers against her wet and quivering heat. He admitted with a sly grin, "I couldn't help myself."

"I'm not complaining." She giggled, pulling him down on top of her. Then Cami kissed him passionately, gripping him tightly around the back of the neck and tangling her fingers in his long hair. Even Loki was panting when the intense kiss broke.

"You're welcome," he said, continuing to grin at her enthusiasm.

"Lie down," Cami said, sounding comfortable ordering him around. "Your turn." He complied, taking her spot as she rolled out of the way and onto her knees. Cami tugged off his boxers and also took some time to inspect him. Already very aroused, Loki was visibly longer than the average human male and from her expression, Cami noticed.

She touched the side of his scrotum. "You have a scar here."

He knew the spot, but his memory clouded over as he thought about it. "That's not exactly the reaction I was expecting."

"I'm easily distractible," she said in her own defense. "That scar looks different than your others."

He tried not to sound too annoyed as he said, "I don't think now is a good time to talk about this." He decided not to mention that he couldn't talk about it with less-than-intact memories.

"Mood-killer, huh?" Cami teased, not appearing to expect a response from him.

She stroked his length tentatively at first as she kissed at his chest and stomach and then took him in hand with a firm grip. She certainly did not appear intimidated, especially when she licked the head up one side and down the other, sending a strong jolt of sensation straight through him.

"How long has it been for you?" Cami asked, eying him.

"Almost two years," Loki said. "That's a while for me."

Her lips curled up in a mischievous smile as she started at the base of his penis and licked the underside all the way up to the tip, causing him to inhale deeply. "So sensitive," she purred at him and closed her lips around the head.

He felt and sounded a little apprehensive as he accused, "You're going to torture me, aren't you?"

"Are you into that sort of thing?" she released him to ask. "Should we compare kinky lists?"

"Maybe later," he was quick to say, but actually thought, _definitely later_.

She worked his shaft with her hand, pumping him with just the right pressure in her grip while she licked at his scrotum. Loki tried to stay relaxed and not let the sensations get the better of him too quickly. It was a difficult task. She was marvelously good at this.

Cami slipped him into her mouth, taking more of his length this time and tantalizing the flesh with her warm saliva and skillful tongue as her hand continued to move from his base to her mouth. Then she pulled back, dragging her full, wet lips across every stiffening inch to the tip, which she kissed and licked before reversing course to reclaim him again.

Absolute bliss overtook him as she did this over and over again. Then she picked up the pace so her head bobbed and more of his length disappeared into her mouth and throat. When he couldn't stand it anymore Loki gently thrust upwards; and Cami intuitively adjusted to match the movement. He met her gaze to find her staring at him with such intense lust that he was pushed to release.

"Now," he barely managed to say right before his eyes clamped shut, his toes curled and he exploded with a loud moan, losing what felt like a lifetime of tension along with his hot semen down her tight throat. His mind blanked and an overwhelming peace settled over him like he had finally achieved death.

Cami lulled him out of this state of exaggerated euphoria by going after his scars with her insistent kisses and causing small firings in his brain's pain receptors. "Don't fall asleep," she warned him. "I'm super horny now and the next closest unattached guy, who isn't my brother, is Steve."

Loki smiled at her playful expression. "I don't think the good captain would be able to look anyone in the eye for days if you performed like that on him, my dear."

"Oh, so you liked it," Cami said with a touch of sarcasm. "I thought you might have since you almost fainted."

"I did not almost faint," he argued, feeling a little irked by the accusation.

"You got pretty relaxed. I thought I might lose you."

Loki decided that he'd better take her teasing in the manner it was intended, which he was fairly certain was to boost her own confidence, not attack his own. He admitted, "You were glorious."

Cami appeared to appreciate the compliment even if still in a mood. "Am I being a brat?" she asked, softening her tone a little and shifting forward on his chest.

"Yes, but you're my brat, and I..." He hesitated, realizing that the word _love_ was right on the tip of his tongue and was likely to be followed by the word _you_. He didn't know if he should say that to her when he questioned and pondered aspects of their relationship.

"You what?"

He couldn't seem to bring order to his thoughts, but didn't want to leave her waiting too long. "I forgive you for teasing me."

She smirked at him, still being playful. "Hey, if you want to get me back, I have a particular spot where you can tease me all you want."

Loki laughed. "That was far from subtle."

"Sometimes bold and blunt is better."

She laid into him with desperate, hot kisses, offering her breasts for his touches and stroking him until he was soon hard again. Loki rolled over to retrieve the box of condoms from the nightstand. He ripped open the box, separated out one blue packet and left the rest on the stand.

"Want me to help?" Cami offered as he opened the packet.

"I have the situation well in hand," he assured Cami, making her chuckle even though he hadn't tried to be funny.

He completed the application and took a few moments to let himself enjoy Cami's beautifully-toned body before drawing near again, watching her for signs of just how she preferred to do this. At this point, he would deny her nothing she wanted.

Cami snuggled up against him, looking more sentimental than he'd expected after the teasing. "I know our bodies don't exactly match up cause I'm short and you're so tall, but I like being close during."

Loki took in the space available to them, then gripped Cami at the hips and pulled her more toward the center of the bed. Loki slipped a pillow under her hips then positioned himself between her thighs. He asked if she was comfortable, to which she replied that she was.

With Loki's initial strokes, he slid his length along her folds, collecting her lubrication and feeling her tremble and jump while she bit at her lip. When he first touched against her entrance, pushing forward, her petite body resisted, but with some added force he slipped in, causing Cami to cringe and tense up.

Loki waited while she took in some deep breaths. He felt a little guilty that he hadn't taken the time to prepare her properly. A tongue was far from adequate when she hadn't been with anyone for so long. Some fingering would have helped stretch the muscles better.

He found the best position for his legs before lying down so they could be close like she'd wanted. He did have to tilt his head and arch his back some so he could get a decent view of her features. When she relaxed again, Loki started to move, establishing a slow rhythm, but with a variance of shallow and deeper thrusts.

Cami held him gently, lightly rubbing at his back while she nuzzled his shoulder and made little noises of appreciation that made him smile. He tried to stay aware of her breathing, body tension and responding touches as he gradually increased the speed of his thrusts. Sometimes he would surprise her by going slower, faster, deeper or less deep than he had been with the previous strokes, which teased and escalated their building arousal in turn. Even through the latex condom, the building friction and heat proved wonderfully effective. So, when he felt her arms tighten around him and she began to pant, Loki responded by shifting his position just enough to change the angle of penetration. This way he could better stimulate her while picking up the pace and force of his thrusts.

Cami gasped and bucked her hips up to meet him. "Are you close?" she asked, tilting her head back to look at him. There was a beautiful, healthy sheen of sweat on her pinked cheeks and forehead.

"I'll come with you," he voiced, hardly able to speak with the tremendous sensations. Surely after the oral pleasure she'd given him he would be able to hold out long enough. "Warn me."

"Soon," she said, and gave a little whimper. "Very soon."

The moment came within seconds with Cami screaming his name and him moaning something that almost sounded like hers as their bodies lurched then slowly broke down into shudders and frantic panting. Cami wrapped her legs around Loki, begging him to remain in as long as he could through the aftershocks of her orgasm.

He caressed her, admiring how innocent and alluring she looked, even with her damp, tousled hair, flushed cheeks and their mixed scents thick in the air. "We don't want the condom to slip off," he finally told her, gently breaking the hold so he could withdraw from her and dispose of the evidence.

When he returned to the bed, Cami had rolled off the pillow. She turned on her side, cuddling up to him as he smoothed her hair and kissed her drooping eyelids. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sleepy and satisfied," she said with a smile, but didn't open her eyes. "Are you sure you weren't the God of Sex instead of Mischief?"

_You're absolutely adorable_, his mind wanted to tell her, but his actual, tired response was simply, "I'm sure." Loki pulled the covers up over them, soon rejoining her in sleep.


	12. Chapter 12 - Trouble in Paradise

**Chapter Twelve - Trouble in Paradise**

* * *

When Clint woke to screams and moans coming from down the hall, he realized it had been stupid to choose a room remotely close to his sister and her boyfriend. He glanced at the digital alarm clock to see it was early. With his internal system thrown off by the time change, Clint doubted he could go back to sleep. He pulled a pillow over his head, attempting to clear his mind and relax, but the effort proved futile. So, he left the bed, pulled some items from his bags and headed for the bathroom.

Natasha's clear toiletries bag rested on the counter. Clint could see her bottle of perfume tucked in with the diverse selection of beautification products and grinned at the memory of how great she smelled at the party. He used the facilities, undressed and stepped into the shower, thinking about the awkwardness during the drive from the consulate to the hotel the previous night. Natasha had climbed into the adjacent seat, but avoided looking at him. Then she pulled the same act for the ride to the rental house.

Clint needed to talk to Natasha, though he had nothing prepared. He just knew he had to set it right somehow. That meant getting her attention before she left for Greece that night and when they weren't surrounded by people. Maybe it wouldn't be impossible if she didn't actively hide from him.

Clint didn't linger in the shower. He felt rushed and anxious even though he was technically on vacation leave for the day and should be relaxing. As he padded back toward his room, he spotted Natasha's light on and door ajar. He stopped, knocking softly.

"Come in."

Natasha stood at the window beyond the bed. She wore a silky red robe and calmly ran a brush through her curls. She didn't even look his way as she said, "They woke you too, huh?"

"Yeah." Hints of embarrassment warmed his face as Clint entered and shut the door. Talking about his sister's love life was difficult in the first place then made harder with his own desires so close to the surface. When Natasha didn't offer more, Clint had to consider his options.

"I think I should apologize."

Natasha lowered the hairbrush, but didn't turn away from the window. She answered with a soft, "No."

"You've got to let me do something," Clint insisted. "I don't like this tension, and I know it's my fault. I'm really sorr—"

"Shush," she interrupted, turning his way. Though she hadn't raised her voice, she still sounded angry.

Clint fell silent, not hurt or offended as much as stunned.

Natasha came within a few feet of him, tossing her hairbrush on the bed. "You caught me off guard at the party. So what? Good for you."

It frustrated him that she reacted this way, compounding his guilt. "Nat—"

"Let me finish," she demanded. "How did you know that I wore the dress for you?"

_Wait._ _She really did wear it for me?_

"You know I like purple," Clint stammered, unsure what more he could say.

"I have plenty of purple stuff in my wardrobe. Why ask me that last night?"

Her eyes and features were so active with emotion that Clint knew he could get buried in the effort to dig himself out of this hole. Plus, she had the potential to seriously hurt him if she wanted.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do. You're not quite good enough to lie to me."

Clint felt desperate for the right words to fix everything, but none appeared. So, he had no choice but to speak the truth and accept the consequences. "I wanted it to be true," he said, trying not to chicken out and break eye contact with her. His stomach tightened, adding to his discomfort while she considered him.

"You do know that Cami, Loki and your buddies have been manipulating you, right?"

Clint had no idea what she was talking about, but the thought of what she suggested put him on edge. "I guess not." He felt foolish and angry to be on the spot and so ill-prepared to defend himself.

Natasha's tone softened by the time she spoke next. "Cami's been curious about our relationship since she arrived. She wants us together, and you know how she can be when she wants something."

"You've been on my mind lately. Too much, in fact; and now you tell me that my sister has come up with an elaborate scheme to bring us together."

"Considering how effective their efforts have been," she said, "I bet Loki was the mastermind."

Clint huffed and looked down, noticing that his hands had clenched into fists. "God, Nat, how long have you known?"

"I've been suspicious for a while." Natasha also looked unnerved.

Clint shook his head and backed away from her. Hot emotion expanded in his chest as he asked, "Why didn't you warn me that this was happening?"

Though he'd asked the question, Clint turned to grip the doorknob, expecting he couldn't handle the answer. He sensed her move up behind him. She touched his bare back, the warmth of each soft fingertip coaxing him to stay. How he craved her closeness and touch.

"We've been friends a long time. Obviously, I didn't like you being deceived."

"If I can't trust you, my sister or friends to have my back, well—I give up."

Natasha whipped around him, pushing the door shut as Clint started to open it. "I wanted it to be true," she confessed with wide, fearful eyes, borrowing his own words.

Clint stared, dumbfounded. Natasha attempted a brave face, but Clint could see the conflicting emotions sabotaged her efforts.

"I don't want to be just friends anymore," she said. "I kept looking for clues that you might feel the same way, but you're so damn distracted by Cami and missions and a million other things. Of course I let them try their plan, because I had to know."

Clint's mind was slow to compute. Her words played over and over in his mind as memories and feelings about her flooded in to add to the confusing mix. Why he thought he could feel her warm flesh or the softness of her hair when his hands weren't on her, proved disorienting and vexing. He could also smell the scents of her rose perfume, favorite shampoo and body lotion too strongly in his nostrils.

"Please say something," Natasha said, appearing so vulnerable and afraid that she almost didn't look like herself.

Thoughts and sensory data overloaded Clint to the point that he couldn't form words. He snatched Natasha around the waist and pulled her against him. He took hold of her at the back of her delicate neck with his other hand and pressed his mouth urgently to hers. Natasha responded, injecting her own desire into their kiss as she held onto him with both arms.

"I want you so bad," Clint whispered in her ear as he went after her throat and neck with his eager kisses.

Natasha let go of him and tried to pull back in one sudden motion. "Wait. We can't get carried away," she said in a near panic.

"What?" Clint tightened his grip on her, growling with lustful agitation. "Now you want to stop?"

"The whole house could hear us."

Clint backed Natasha up to the door, attacking her mouth between quick exchanges. "It's okay. We'll work it out," he promised. He felt her arms slide up under his and gently push at him as she squirmed.

"Clint, I'm not on any birth control."

Clint refused to release her, so he shouldn't have been surprised when Natasha decided to resort to dirty tactics. She tickled him along his ribs, having no doubt discovered the sensitive spot years ago and stored the tidbit away in her memory for a moment such as this. As soon as his grip broke, she ducked away, taking refuge on the other side of the room.

Though annoyed by this underhanded maneuver, Clint knew she could have done far worse to him. "You are a tease," he accused, leaning back on the door and inhaling deeply to help even out his breathing.

"We're too smart to give in haphazardly to lust," she said, seeming to be convincing herself while she tried it on him.

_This isn't happening_, Clint thought in dismay. His whole body ached for her, not just in his groin. "Naaaaat," he whined, sliding down the door until he sat on the floor. "How can you do this to me?"

Natasha took a step toward him then stopped, not trusting herself to get too close. She chose to sit down too, tucking her legs underneath her. "I'm sorry. If I'd thought—I would have been prepared."

The torture dragged on with neither of them speaking, only panting and staring. Natasha wiped tears of frustration from her expressive green eyes. Clint was fresh from the shower, yet sweaty like going through a forced detox—Natasha as his drug of choice.

"I stopped carrying condoms a while ago," Clint admitted when he felt more in control. "Didn't see the point, I guess."

Natasha nodded, seeming to understand exactly what he meant. "The minute we do this, you know it's going to be all over S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers."

Clint's gut tensed as he asked, "Do you want to back down? Never speak of it again?"

"No, of course not."

It relieved him that she had been so quick and decisive with her response. "We'll be in town all day, then you leave for Greece tonight. What am I going to do?"

"Why not come with me?" she suggested. "Let Loki and Cami watch over themselves for a while."

Clint chuckled. "Why do we watch them so closely anyway?"

Natasha shrugged. "Did you hear the first thing I said?"

"Yeah. At least, I think so."

"I asked you to come with me to Santorini."

"There's no way I can refuse that offer, but you have to clear it through Maria and Nick for me. That is one conversation I want to avoid."

She relaxed then. "Deal."

Clint climbed to his feet with a low groan, feeling overwhelmed in the emotion department, somewhat mentally disconnected and physically exhausted as he opened the bedroom door.

"Another shower?" Natasha asked with a knowing and sympathetic air.

"Yeah. Gotta clear my head." He did take one last longing look at her and her disheveled appearance before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

Loki chose to lounge in bed while Cami showered, listening to the sounds of people moving about the house. He realized he would have to find a way to endure or avoid the discomfort of Thor's company and such a large group dynamic over extended hours in unfamiliar territory. Surely the day would be nothing short of terrible for him.

When Cami returned, she sent Loki to take his own shower, which he could have drawn out to waste more of the morning, but he could tell from the collection of toiletries on the counter that they were not the only ones using that particular bathroom. A quick shower later, he got back to their room to find Cami straightening up the bed and their discarded clothes. She'd dressed in a casual white blouse, dark blue jeans and what she called her walking shoes.

"Is that how everyone will be dressed?" Loki asked, opening his suitcase to inspect the clothes Steve packed for him. Clint had provided Loki with casual Midgardian clothes back at the helicarrier, but he always wore his uniforms when not in sleeping attire.

Cami nodded. "You've got jeans in there right?" She walked over to the bed to peek in his suitcase.

"The material is strange," Loki said, hinting with his tone that he wasn't likely to wear the jeans.

"Okay. Whatever makes you comfortable since we'll be out and about most of the day, I think." Cami turned back to the mirror, frowning at her reflection. "I'm going to find someone to braid my hair before breakfast. It's driving me crazy."

Loki contemplated his options as she departed. His less-than-eager attitude about the day's prospects hindered him from deciding what to wear. In a way, he was protesting simply through his inaction. Loki pulled on his black uniform pants and shoes, a white t-shirt and a gray lightweight jacket to hide the scars on his arms. He also grabbed his wallet that Steve had the foresight to pack for him. He took a moment to look himself over in the mirror, deciding he would pass inspection, but didn't really like the jacket. He missed the weight and style of his old leather garments, which would likely look out of place anywhere in Midgard.

Loki used his agitation to bolster enough courage to make the trek to the kitchen. He found Steve and Maria in the sunroom, enjoying the view while they chatted. Steve offered him polite greetings when Loki passed through, which he acknowledged with a nod, realizing that he probably looked as unhappy as he felt.

From the top of the spiral staircase he could hear conversations in the kitchen below. He descended the stairs to find Cami, Jane and Pepper managing the food preparation while the others talked at the nearby table. Natasha was notably absent.

Loki didn't think he'd be much help with the food, and he didn't feel like joining the group at the table. When Thor looked up, noticing his arrival, Loki chose to continue out the back door to the large deck, taking the ramp down to stand at the edge of the sand.

He heard soft footfalls in pursuit.

"Please don't," Cami pleaded, walking down to stand beside him.

Loki didn't turn her way. Even the energy it would take to feign a smile was more than he was willing to offer right then. "Don't what?"

"You saw Thor and immediately walked away," Cami said. "Give him a chance. He's your brother."

"In fact, he's not," Loki snapped. "Really, you should stop calling any of them my family."

When he peeked at her, Cami's features had tightened. She swallowed hard before she looked down, dropping her chin almost to her chest. Her wounded expression further frustrated him because it seemed unfair and manipulative that she could rebuke him so effectively without saying a word.

Cami finally did speak, her words soft despite her upset. "You are punishing them and yourself because your family situation isn't perfect. They love you, even when you hurt them."

"You don't understand," Loki said, sounding harsh.

"Odin and Frigga chose to take you in and raise you as their son. No family ever chose to keep me. So, no—I don't completely understand." She turned, walking briskly away along the beach.

Loki's heart felt tight and heavy as he stared out over the sand at the water of the gulf and the golden sunrise beyond.

"Want me to go after her?" Natasha asked, startling him as she approached from the opposite side. She strolled barefoot, carrying her sandals by the straps.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I suppose you heard."

"Yeah, sorry."

"It doesn't matter." It wasn't Natasha's fault that Loki had failed to notice her nearby.

Natasha held up her free hand to block the sun from her eyes. "Cami has unreasonable expectations sometimes. You don't have to force a relationship with Thor just to make her happy. Go ahead and hate him if you really feel that way."

Hate. Love. The two were not mutually exclusive, no matter how much Loki wanted to believe that notion when it came to Thor.

Cami had made it so far down the beach already that she almost appeared to be a small child, which brought to mind her youth. "I will probably apologize," Loki said.

"Up to you." Natasha stepped onto the ramp, but lightly gripped his arm. "Nothing about her childhood is your fault."

"I realize that."

"Let me know if you need backup. I've been dealing with her moods for a while now and Clint can help too."

Loki nodded. He did appreciate her offer.

"Oh, and if you choose not to come today, I'll understand," Natasha added. "Even I'm intimidated by what Tony considers a _small _gathering of friends."

Loki realized she had just confessed one reason for her solitary walk. He stood there, watching her ascend to the house until she disappeared inside to the crowded kitchen.

Cami sat in the sand as Loki walked up and settled beside her. With her hair braided, she couldn't hide that she had been crying so easily this time.

She said after awhile, "I should not have made this about me."

He chose not to respond, though she gave him ample time to do so.

Cami leaned close, resting against his shoulder. "Thor is proud of how hard you've worked at S.H.I.E.L.D. Why can't he have a chance to tell you so?"

Loki saw truth in her features, even if only her own belief. Of course, Cami's words did not magically heal the anger and aching inside of him or wash away painful memories that he could recall with such clarity after so many centuries.

"Even if that's true, I can't just turn these feelings off."

"I get that. I really do, but Thor isn't here to torment you. He and Jane were invited to the party. Tonight or tomorrow he'll be gone," she said, appearing to sadden even more.

"I didn't realize you and Thor were such good friends now. Perhaps that will make me even more jealous."

Cami took his hand in hers, pressing a tender kiss to the flesh. "I'll always be yours," she said so sincerely that he could not doubt her, and didn't want to.

They sat for a long while before Cami climbed to her feet and offered him a hand up. "Come on. You're probably as hungry as I am."

Loki stood, dusting the sand off his pants before taking the hand.

Cami pulled him along. "What can I do to make today easier?"

"Could you be suggesting a bribe?" he asked, with a stir of interest.

"I guess, if that's what it's going to take to keep you sociable today. Do you have something in mind?"

"Leather," Loki said. "Something black. A coat perhaps, because I don't like this one."

Cami giggled. "Okay. I've heard Italy is a great place for leather jackets. It's probably going to be a bit expensive though."

"What else am I to spend my wages on? S.H.I.E.L.D. has provided everything I've needed thus far."

Cami continued to laugh at him as she said, "Alright. Mission accepted. We'll hunt down a black leather jacket for you while we're out. I know Pepper and Jane are both stoked about shopping. I'm sure we'll see our fair share of stores today."

The group was eating and discussing plans when Loki and Cami returned to the kitchen. Two seats had been saved at the end of the table between Natasha and Pepper. People started passing the food as they sat down. Loki tried to keep his gaze on his plate or on those seated closest to him. By doing this, he didn't actually see Thor near the far end of the long table.

"I think we should split up," Steve said. "Between Thor and Tony, we're bound to get recognized by someone. We could blow the covers of the field agents if people start taking pictures of the group."

"Steve's right," Maria agreed. "I don't know why Fury let you guys do this."

"Oh, come on," Tony said, sounding irked. "Who is going to recognize Thor wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt?"

"The first time one of us calls out his name bystanders will clue in pretty quick," Steve argued, setting down his glass of juice.

"I think you're a little paranoid," Tony countered. "Thor is a common enough name in some parts of the world."

Maria leveled Tony with a hard look. "Not in Italy. I think he'll have to use his alias today. Thor and Loki both."

"Alias?" Jane said, eying Thor with confusion.

"Donald Blake," Maria offered.

Jane's eyes widened with bewilderment then narrowed again as her agitation at Thor became more evident. "You still use my ex-boyfriend's name as your alias? I refuse to call you Donald or Donny all day. I'm likely to develop a complex."

Though he couldn't see his brother's reaction, Loki allowed himself a momentary smirk.

Natasha asked, "What about you, Tony? Have you got a plan?"

Tony gestured to himself. "Why do I need a plan?"

"Gee, I wonder." Natasha said with a shrewd tone, cocking her head and slipping a bite of her fruit-filled crepe into her mouth.

Clint confirmed, "You do tend to draw attention to yourself."

"Wear your sunglasses and maybe a hat or something," Pepper said. "An alias might be necessary too."

Mike joked, "If half the group is using aliases, I am going to need a cheat sheet to keep track."

"Maybe we should just avoid using names all together then," Natasha suggested. "No one's cover gets blown that way."

Loki listened to the banter as he ate, already convinced that the day out together was bound to be a complete failure, with or without his contributions. He did note a spark of mischievousness in Clint's eyes as the archer stole a gulp of Natasha's coffee. She in turn issued a silent threat with her eyes while grasping her butter knife in a menacing manner. Loki glanced toward Cami to see if she'd noticed this behavior. Apparently she had because a hint of a smile curled the corner of her mouth as she sipped her own coffee.

Their hired guides arrived at the house a short time later to take them to see the Duomo and the Basilica di Santa Restituta, where the group gaped in awe at the gothic architecture, historical statues and busts, as well as colorful frescoes and other figurative artwork. Loki did not share such a strong fascination with the old cathedral as others in the group. There were many aspects of Midgard's religions and history that failed to interest him through the centuries. He assumed that mortals were drawn to things and places that predated themselves as if a connection could be made to times long passed.

To fend off his boredom, Loki studied Clint and Natasha through most of the tour. They were noticeably uncertain standing together, yet more attentive and playful than usual.

"I do believe something has happened with those two," Loki whispered to Cami as they followed the group out to the bus afterwards.

"Does it seem like they are both taunting and avoiding each other?"

"That's an interesting description," Loki admitted. "It certainly appears that they could be doing just that."

Clint and Natasha continued to act oddly as the group visited two different museums to see more art and then archeological discoveries. Again, Loki had little interest in the tour material. He began to wonder if the promise of a leather jacket was worth this complete waste of his time. He regretted not staying in bed with Cami all day instead.

"Thank you," Cami said as she appeared out of nowhere to snuggle up to his side.

He wrapped his arm around her. "For what, my dear?"

"I can tell you are immensely bored, yet you haven't complained at all," she said. "I think we're going to lunch next then on to shopping."

He nodded.

"I've decided that we were louder than I realized this morning," she confessed with a naughty grin, "and everyone's trying not to let on that we woke them up at that ungodly hour."

Loki smiled, smoothing down some wisps of hair that had escaped from her braid. "Privacy is a precious commodity."

Before long, Tony started herding the group together to leave. He gestured for Loki and Cami to come over whilst referring to them as Thumper and Bambi, two names which meant nothing to Loki, but caused Cami to glare at Tony in return.

She told Loki as they moved toward the group, "Thumper and Bambi are cute and innocent cartoon character animals. Though, I'm sure he is using their names in this case as sexual references."

They ate at a small, family-owed restaurant which their guides assured them was located between two of the better, yet less frequented, shopping areas by tourists. Tony insisted on ordering more than half the menu, which caused chaos for the staff and prompted the owner to lock his doors so their private gathering wouldn't be disturbed.

Much like the grand feasts of Asgard, trays of food left the kitchen at regular intervals as the group ate their way through mountains of bread, pasta, meats and cheeses in delicious combinations that had Loki consuming nearly as much food as Thor or Steve managed to put away.

"Loki, I've never seen you eat this much," Cami said with concern.

His mouth was full at the time or Loki would have responded to her. Instead, Thor beat him to it.

"Don't worry, Cami," Thor said with a wide grin that appeared to be more comical than contemptuous. "Loki was raised in Asgard and there is little more our people do better than eat."

"Oh, I remember." She gestured to the food yet to be touched. "I think we could use Volstagg's help about now."

Loki nearly choked, unable to contain his urge to laugh along with Thor and Sif.

The owner approached, asking if anyone wanted dessert. Groans caused by overindulgence arose from the majority of their group members up and down the long table. Tony and the owner walked off to settle the tab while everyone else collected their things and wandered outside to enjoy the fresh air and spring weather.

Some women and their children sat across the way. The assemblage included much younger children too, and it didn't take long for Pepper to start fawning over them and insist that some of the others come admire the dark-haired darlings as well.

"Oh dear," Loki muttered when Cami's attention shifted that direction. "You do realize they're only cute for so long."

"I bet if you raise them right, they'll seem cute forever," she said in a mildly challenging tone. "I like kids, even if you don't."

It wasn't that Loki didn't like children. They just required so much attention and effort. His own children were especially known for being troublesome. He considered if he should breach the topic of his children with Cami or not when she called over Stefano, one of their guides and the limo driver from the previous evening, and asked him about good stores to shop for a leather jacket.

It became readily apparent that the group planned to split up to do their shopping. So, they decided on a time and place to meet back before everyone dispersed. Loki was grateful to have some time alone with Cami as they strolled south and then west for a while, following the directions Stefano had given them to find the shop of one of his close friends who specialized in leather goods. Other small groups of tourists moved between the shops, but they were too engrossed in their own Naples experience to pay much heed to the couple.

Cami spotted the leather shop's sign, picking up her pace as she pulled Loki forward. As they stepped in, Loki noted that the shop smelled of treated leather. He had to assume that similar chemicals were used both in Midgard and Asgard for the process as the smell was all too familiar and hauntingly comforting.

The owner, a man in his sixties, stepped out of the back to assist them. He showed them his varied selection of stylish jackets, encouraging Loki to try on as many as he wanted. There was no need to do this, however, as Loki spotted the style he wanted right away and only tried on a couple before he found the right size for him.

"Ooo sexy," Cami openly flirted.

Loki winked back at her then reluctantly gave up the coat so the owner could bag it. At the register, Loki dispensed nearly every dollar in his wallet to secure the payment.

"Happy?" Cami asked as they walked out of the shop.

"Very."

They had only begun the walk back when Cami unexpectedly halted. "Ummm..." Loki could see apprehension and confusion settling into her features as she looked at him. "I just remembered..." Again she had difficulty completing her thought.

"What is it?" he asked, leaning closer.

Then he felt and knew what she was failing to express, for the memories simply popped into his mind, immense and detailed blocks of time and facts that seemed to stretch and strain his consciousness and intellect to the point of aching.

"Oh no," Loki said with dread, trying to do a form of mental triage on the images, emotions and sensations that flooded into him. "We should not be alone. Let us find the others quickly."

* * *

The day dragged on, feeling like it would never end. Natasha was in the dressing room, trying on outfits. Clint distracted from boredom by thinking of the waiting villa on the beach in Santorini. If he had his way, Natasha would have little need for clothes.

An ashen-faced Tony knocked on the window behind Clint, grabbing his attention. The billionaire had a cellphone up to his ear and gestured for Clint to come outside.

"Nat, something's up," he called back to the dressing area. "I'm heading out." The agent gave the other customers little thought as their curious looks followed him.

Steve and Maria had also gathered as Clint walked up. Tony handed his phone to Maria, indicating someone waited to speak with her on it and pulled Clint aside. "God; I don't know how to say this," he began, forcing eye contact. His dark brown eyes showed conflict and sorrow. "Fury just reported that they found blood and traces of organ, skin and muscle tissue in Loki's room back at the carrier. Forensics checked everything twice..."

Clint was speaking before most of what Tony said had time to sink in. "Blood from whom?"

"It's Cami."

"No." Clint took a step toward Maria, pointing at the phone in her grasp. "They're wrong. Cami's fine."

Tony grabbed Clint by the shoulders, forcing him to listen. "The doctors are certain she couldn't have survived an attack like this without immediate medical attention."

Pop. A memory overtook him, an event that Clint had forgotten completely.

"_Are you so sure you want to get involved in this?" _the Bad Loki had asked, rising from a crouch to his full impressive height. "_I'm not quite the same as when we parted last. This is an entirely new game with much more powerful tricks."_

"_Oh, I don't doubt it," _Clint had countered, purposely keeping his gaze from wandering to the bound and naked Loki on the tiled, shower room floor, "_but he's my responsibility and I just can't stand by and let you hurt him."_

Clint shook his head, attempting to clear his mind as more memories surfaced. A strong, yet hesitant hand touched his forearm and it took great willpower to dismiss the influx of information and turn his head to see it was Natasha.

"We left her alone in the suite," Natasha voiced in disbelief, her lip quivering. "How could we forget to protect her?"

"The other Loki has been playing us all," Steve said, his frame stiffening. "I thought something was wrong. Cami didn't look right when we went to pick her up, but I didn't see any blood."

"Obviously," Tony said, also in shock, "the Bad Loki hides what he doesn't want us to see or remember."

"Is this Cami a double too?" Maria asked as she ended the phone call. "Or the Bad Loki in disguise?"

Clint clenched his teeth, thinking back over every interaction with Cami since she'd showed up in Naples. At the consulate she'd only danced the one waltz, though he knew she loved dancing. She'd been in such a hurry to get Loki alone and away from everyone else. At the hotel only she had been able to wake Loki, which hinted at magical involvement.

_Is my sister really dead?_ he pondered, feeling a crushing weight at his core and an instant throb in his head. Clint asked in a strained whisper, "How can the doctors be so sure? They didn't find her body, right?"

Tony gave a firm answer, yet with some sense to try and be delicate, "Clint, forensics says she sustained massive internal damage. It would have taken a miracle for her to survive."

"We've got to find our Loki," Steve spoke up. "He could be dead by now. Which direction did they go?"

Maria spotted Mike and Sif coming out of a shop that sold specialty chocolates. "Get everyone together," she ordered, waving the couple over as she caught their attention.

"I'm an idiot," Stark said. "I left my suit on the plane."

Maria pointed out, "None of us have any weapons or communicators. Even Thor left Mjolnir back at the house. Bad Loki duped us into a false sense of security."

"I've got to find Thor," Stark decided. He took off running, heading north, but called back over his shoulder, "Protect Pepper!"

Steve went to find her.

"Oh God, Nat," Clint said with a shudder. He looked skyward, blinking back a rush of hot, stinging tears and trying to be stoic like his superiors would expect of a senior agent. His voice choked with emotion. "What am I going to do?"

"You're going to kill him."


	13. Chapter 13 - Betrayals

_Note- This is the last chapter of Mischief Makers - Part Two. The story continues in Mischief Makers - Part Three._

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen - Betrayals**

* * *

Loki kept his gaze moving as they backtracked through the small shopping district. With the double's shape-shifting and cloaking abilities, he could be hiding anywhere.

Cami stayed close to him as they sprinted. "Why do we remember?"

"It's probably more fun for him."

"What do he and Jahla want? They could have killed us already."

"No. He can't kill me, nor I him, without us both dying."

Perhaps it was because she was so frightened that Cami became angry. "That's a pretty important thing to keep secret. What else haven't you told me?"

He chose not to raise his voice to her because she was no doubt dealing with her own terrible memories. "I am not attempting to avoid your questions. Anything I tell you now will just have to be repeated later with the others."

"Of course you would be all logical right now while I'm freaking out."

Thunder rumbled to the distant north of them. Loki came to a sudden stop, lifting his gaze to the sky. What started as two blurs of color streaking toward them, turned out to be Thor and Tony in their battle gear. The men landed on flanking sides of him and Cami; and Loki realized from his brother's tight expression that Thor was more anxious than relieved.

Cami asked them, "Did you two get your memories back too?"

"Yeah, we did," Tony said with a noticeable edge to his voice. "JARVIS, relay our position to Agent Hill, please."

"Yes Sir."

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, turning to look between the emotionless face plate of the Iron Man suit and Thor, who raptly watched Cami.

Tony dismissed the question. "The group will be here any second. We've got some things to talk about, strategy, you know."

"People are watching us." Loki eyed the crowds of people gathering to get a better look at the two Avengers. "Maybe we should head back to the house."

"Let's see what Hill has in mind," Tony said.

There was far too much tension in the air, which stirred a foreboding feeling within Loki. He came to realize that Tony and Thor had not been sent out to protect as much as to detain them, and the worry building on Cami's features only added to Loki's apprehension.

The tour bus came into view, but stopped about a half-block away. Steve and their S.H.I.E.L.D. counterparts exited the vehicle, hurrying forward to take position around them too.

"Clint, what's happening?" Cami called out, sounding even more nervous than she appeared.

Clint's expression hardened as he shifted his gaze to Agent Hill.

Maria appeared to see, but chose to ignore Clint's look. Instead, she addressed Loki with a serious tone. "Are you familiar with a Level Two Security Identification Protocol?"

"Yes," Loki said. He'd memorized nearly every security protocol S.H.I.E.L.D. had on the books.

"Good. Then identify yourself."

Loki took in the group before focusing on Maria. He kept his answer concise as she wasn't asking for all that much information really. "I am Trainee Thomas Murphy, an intelligence analyst and field operative for the Mischief Makers. I am under the command of Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff."

"And your authentication code?"

"Two, echo, one, six, papa."

"Code confirmed," JARVIS announced a moment later.

Maria nodded, but her expression changed very little. "Agent Romanoff, kindly escort him to the bus," then turned her stern gaze on Cami next.

Loki held out his hand, stopping Natasha as she stepped closer. "What is happening?"

"Trainee Murphy, you are ordered to accompany your supervisor to the bus," Maria answered, her voice stern. "Agent Romanoff will brief you on the situation."

Clint met his gaze. Pain and defeat weighed on his features and frame. "Don't make this worse," he said, his tone too soft to be considered a command.

Loki turned back to Cami, who appeared to tremble just a bit under Maria's intense stare. She nodded, encouraging him to do as they asked. Natasha took his bag with the leather jacket, waving for him to come with her. Loki complied, but cast a long look over his shoulder as the others tightened up their ranks around Cami.

Natasha touched his arm, her features paling as she began with, "We got a call from Fury."

* * *

Cami realized as Loki and Natasha walked away that she felt scared and alone. Her mind shifted between the harsh glares to the horrific memories of what had happened to her at the hands of the Bad Loki. She'd been alone then too, with no one to help her. This seemed worse somehow because she'd come to trust most of these people to some degree or another.

"What did I do?" Cami aimed the question more toward her brother who she could barely see standing behind Maria and Steve with his head down.

Maria snapped, "Identify yourself."

"Trainee Camille Barton." Cami tried to swallow the lump in her throat and breathe despite her tightening chest. "I currently have no position in S.H.I.E.L.D. or a team," she admitted with a twinge of humiliation.

"What is your training team number?"

_I was supposed to memorize that?_ Cami thought.

"I don't know. My authentication code is tango, five, five, seven, three."

JARVIS informed them, "According to the S.H.I.E.L.D. security database, that code has been compromised."

"That's right," Maria said, a hint of satisfaction tweaking her words. "You used that code in New Mexico. What's your new code?"

"I haven't changed it with the security office," Cami said, knowing she'd messed up by not following through as protocol required. "I've never had to change the code before."

"Convenient," Maria said. "Let's stop with the games already. We have strong evidence that indicates Cami Barton is dead. So, who are you really?"

_I'm dead? _Cami thought. _Shit!_

"But, I am Cami," she insisted.

Maria stepped forward, getting right in her face. "We know you're lying! Tell us who you are."

Cami shook her head, trying to focus, but images of the attack on her in Loki's room were still trying to edge in and pulled Cami deeper into a panic, triggering an odd sensation. A dense ball of heat formed and expanded within her ribcage.

"Sir," JARVIS reported to Tony, "her body temperature is rising; and I detect a rapid increase in her bioelectric activity."

Tony pointed his repulsor at her. "Stand down, small fry," he warned, "or this gets much less friendly."

Cami cringed, holding her hand against her burning chest and turned toward Clint. "Please?" she begged him, starting to sob. "It's me. Ask me something I can answer." When Clint kept his gaze averted, choosing not to acknowledge her, the dense ball inside her seemed to crackle and pulse.

The group and gathered bystanders all startled when the car alarms and radios of several parked vehicles nearby all went haywire in a sudden, blaring ruckus. Tony powered up his repulsor causing everyone else to shift away. Cami stared at that white light through wet, wide eyes as another, stronger pulse went off inside her, stealing her breath with its intensity and forcing Tony back a step as his suit's power levels sputtered erratically.

Her attention on Tony, Cami didn't see the attack coming. Something or someone struck the side of her head then Cami's legs were swept out from under her. She crashed to the concrete with a grimace. A heavy, immovable weight settled on Cami's chest. She looked up at a cluster of familiar faces then down to see Mjolnir resting on her. It was yet another reminder of the attack—the feeling of not being able to move.

Maria issued orders, most of which Cami didn't catch with her focus divided. She could hear Loki yelling and assumed he was making a scene.

"I don't know what's happening," Cami tried to say, but there was a pounding in her head that made it difficult to tell if she spoke loud enough to be heard. The burning in her chest diminished and went out, leaving her drained.

Between system reports to Tony, JARVIS also informed them that backup agents were on their way. "Let's get her secured," he suggested, "and clear the area."

Thor pulled his hammer off Cami's chest so Steve could bind her hands. Once on her feet, Maria gagged Cami with a bandana folded lengthwise.

How she could convince them of her true identity? With no one else willing to believe her—even Clint—Cami would have to put her faith in Loki to sort out this mess.

* * *

When Hill and the Avengers refused to let Loki fly back to the helicarrier on the same plane as Cami, and practically scoffed at his assertions that they were all making a big mistake, he paid them back with silence and disdain. He looked away or changed his seat anytime someone tried to speak to him during the long flight. Then, once the planes landed, Loki tried to follow behind Cami, who was still bound and being escorted by armed guards to the detention area, only to have Hill and Stark cut him off.

"You've kept us waiting long enough," Maria accused, grabbing his arm. "It's time to fess up to whatever you're so damn scared of us finding out."

Loki pulled out of her grasp, but kept close as he leered. "I don't know to what you are referring. I've been under his influence as well, remember?"

"Hey," Tony said, stepping up to put his shoulder between them, "we just want to know the truth."

"I started a report on my computer days ago. Fury can get some of the details from that," Loki offered, returning to his silent state while their group headed to a conference room for a full debriefing.

Nick Fury was reading from a handheld computer when he and Dr. Montoya joined their group. Now that the proceedings were finally to begin, Loki stopped his agitated pacing and took a seat farthest from the others at the large table.

"I've been skimming Loki's report," Nick said, surveying those gathered. "Since some of you don't have S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance or haven't had time to read the report, we'll have Loki give us the short version. There is a lot to cover; and I'm sure people are going to have questions."

Loki stared at his pitiful reflection in the metal tabletop as he began. "Many years ago, a Jotun hunting party attacked a Light Elf settlement. They captured a young woman who they abused and raped, resulting in Jahla's birth. Mother and daughter were kept as slaves. Jahla only escaped after her mother died."

"That's horrible," Pepper said, drawing Loki's attention long enough to see her take Tony's hand and pull it into her lap. Why Fury insisted on including civilians in this meeting was beyond him.

"I met Jahla when I was in servitude to the Frost Giants. After sharing our grievances, we decided to make an agreement. She would find a way to rid me of Odin's spell in exchange for my help in killing all the Jotun."

Thor grumbled, "I can't believe you agreed to that."

Loki ignored him, keeping his gaze down.

"So, what went wrong with your deal?" Natasha asked after a few moments of silence.

"Jahla could dampen the effects of Odin's spell on me for short periods of time, but she could not remove it. She had a plan for us to create a double of me to which she would move the spell indefinitely and therefore return my magic. She was very convincing; and I was too desperate not to believe she could do it."

Loki paused to gather his thoughts, realizing this could take longer to explain than he wanted. He also didn't care to go into the specific details of their plan as the final results were most important.

"Though Jahla tried, the spell could not be removed. So, she took what she could from me—my magic and shapeshifting abilities. She also divided my soul to bring life to the double. He has all my strengths, immense and increasing power and, yet, very little compassion. Now he does her bidding."

Steve asked, "Did they curse you to keep you quiet?"

"In a way. They also needed my blood for rituals, and it is much more potent if obtained through magic."

The super soldier frowned. "You were their prisoner."

"Yes, until Odin rescued me."

Dr. Montoya was scribbling notes a couple chairs down to Loki's right, but stopped to say, "Tell us why you tried to kill yourself."

"To kill the double, of course. Our souls are bound," Loki explained, causing the expressions of those around him to turn more sympathetic.

"Did losing part of your soul cause this dramatic change in your personality? Are you only good because he possesses the bad?" Natasha asked, her tone and look intuitive as her eyes seemed to gaze right into him past the anger he'd built up to protect himself from their disapproval.

They weren't easy questions to answer. Loki felt ashamed and uncertain of the words that finally did present themselves. "At times I have believed that is true."

"And other times?" Natasha pressed.

"He's so cruel, that I decided I didn't want to be anything like him."

Again Dr. Montoya's pen stilled and she glanced up. "When you didn't die from the curse, you tried to starve yourself. Was the incident in Arizona another attempt at suicide?"

Before Loki could answer, Pepper spoke up. "What incident in Arizona?"

Jane looked equally uninformed.

"He kind of used magic to destroy a snake-thing the Bad Loki summoned from Niflheim," Natasha explained. "He almost died saving Clint's life."

Loki understood that they must have their reasons for the large gathering, but really he didn't know if he could take having so many people staring at him and talking. He chose to get the meeting back on track.

"The double, who you all refer to as _Bad Loki_, realized that I would be relentless in my attempts to end his life. So, he went to Niflheim and struck a bargain with my daughter Hel. He promised her something in return for guarding my life, but I have yet to get it out of her."

Thor shifted forward in his seat, his features and tone still gruff as he addressed Loki. "You are banished to Midgard. When have you been speaking with Hel?"

Loki stared back, unwilling to be cowed by his brother's animosity. "Hel holds a grip on me that I cannot break. When my body rests, my soul is her prisoner in the Underworld. She has sworn to keep this hold on me until Bad Loki fulfills his promise to her."

Again Dr. Montoya jumped in, nearly talking over Loki's words. "Your report says that Cami was able to pull your consciousness out of Niflheim, but you do not explain why or how."

"I do not know," Loki admitted, his words coming out more angry than he intended. "She plays a part in this that I do not understand. I can tell you that Cami was attacked, and Bad Loki used magic to keep her alive. He wanted to punish me through her for disobeying him."

Fury straightened in his chair, finally setting down his tablet. "Do you think the girl we have in custody is really Cami Barton?"

Instead of the shifting his gaze to the director, Loki honed in on the silent, contemplative Clint whose focus returned from some distant place. His hard features and slumped form indicated that he'd already made up his mind, no matter how Loki answered the question.

"Yes, she is Cami," Loki said with conviction.

Clint shook his head. "She was using a power that my sister does not possess."

Loki closed his eyes, letting his head fall forward under the weight of his disappointment in Clint's attitude. _If there is any chance that Cami is alive, why won't he pursue it?_

Nick said with respectful understanding, "We're going to do everything we can to ascertain the truth, Agent Barton."

The group kept quiet, allowing Clint time to respond or offer some insight into the situation, but he said nothing.

"We are going to need help from Asgard," Loki told Fury.

Maria looked insulted at the suggestion. "Why is that?"

"The king and queen will be more capable of getting answers as to her true identity than S.H.I.E.L.D will."

Maria insisted, "I think we can break her ourselves."

Thor spoke up, a protective urgency coming through in his words. "Perhaps you could, but if it is truly Cami you hold in your prison, do you want to interrogate and torture her just to reach that conclusion?"

"Of course not," Nick answered, mindful of the weighty looks cast in his and Hill's direction from the collective.

With a furrowed, worried brow Steve said, "It also won't hurt to touch base with Odin for suggestions on how to keep Bad Loki out of our heads. We can't afford to be off our guard like that again."

A rising anger laced his tone as Fury admitted, "He mind-fucked all of us. I actually approved leave for over half the crew. We're still trying to find and pull everyone back from the far corners of the globe. Every department, every system could have been compromised for all we know."

"Is there a way for us to know if Bad Loki comes on board again?" Natasha asked, directing the question mainly toward Loki.

"He is a shadow mage. Hiding is second nature to him, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is not equipped to detect magic."

"Can we be?" Natasha asked next. She looked to Tony and Jane seated in adjacent chairs. "Could we build some sort of detection device?"

Jane's eyes widened. "Thor once told me that science and magic are one-in-the-same, but I don't know."

Tony leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms while he gave the idea some deep thought. "I am willing to try, but we're going to need resources and a space to work."

"Done," Fury said without hesitation.

"And—" Tony added, "I'm going to need Bruce."

Nick nodded his agreement. "We can arrange a pickup for him."

Thor vacated his chair, coming around the table to place his hand on Loki's shoulder. "I will go to Asgard to explain the situation to our parents and return as soon as I can."

"What do we do about Cami in the meantime?" Natasha asked. "Can she have visitors?"

"I don't think that's wise," Hill advised Fury, who seemed distracted.

"No. Not right now," the director decided.

"Sir," Loki began to argue, but didn't get to finish.

"That is my decision, Loki," Fury said. "Have some patience and maybe we'll get this all resolved before your head hits the pillow. Get some coffee. Have Dr. Lloyd give you something if needed."

Loki's agitation flared beyond concealing. "My concern is not about myself. I believe with all my heart that she is our Cami. She has been through a terrible ordeal already and needs us to trust in her. We cannot allow her imprisonment to go on a moment longer."

Maria scoffed. "She hasn't done much to deserve our trust. Cami Barton has always been a self serving troublemaker."

Clint snapped out of his daze, sitting forward in his seat. "That's not fair."

"What? Am I wrong?" Maria challenged. "She's been playing nice to placate you and Natasha. Her pet project earned the director points with the council, and she's sleeping with Loki now. Everyone's wound around her finger."

"That's harsh," Tony criticized. "She's a good kid."

Dr. Montoya interjected with a cooler more reasonable air, "Whether we like Cami or not shouldn't be the issue. Either she can do the job, or she can't."

Fury also stood. "Let's find out who she is first. Then we'll talk about this. No one sees her for now. Thor, kindly make our request for assistance to your father."

"Right away," Thor said; and Jane and Sif jumped up to walk out with him.

"We are done here. Ms. Potts, Stark, Rogers, walk with me," the director requested, waving them out of the conference room.

Loki remained in his seat as the group broke up. Clint lingered, whispering with Natasha before she stepped over to sit beside Loki.

"You have been through a lot," she said, her features softening. "I'd tell you to rest, but—"

"Do not concern yourself with me," Loki said. "Take care of Clint."

"We're your friends," Natasha expressed with sincerity. "We are concerned."

Loki nodded, but turned away. His reflection on the metal stared back at him with angry eyes as Natasha and Clint also left the room.

* * *

Cami laid on the tiny bed with her back pressed up against the wall. She shielded her eyes from the bright lights above her while she endured a bad migraine and tried to consider her options. _What if I'm not alone in here?_ she thought, peeking out from under her fingers to take in the cell block. Bad Loki could be hiding, watching and waiting for just the right moment to strike. For Cami, that possibility was as terrifying as any interrogation she could imagine.

"Gary!" Cami called out, knowing Agent Stott could hear her through the main door where he was stationed with the other guards.

"Don't talk to her," one of the other guards warned, but Stott opened the door, stepping in far enough for Cami to see him.

"Why isn't anyone coming?"

"You gave them an awful scare," Stott said. "You know they're going to act carefully. Fury has ordered that no one gets in without authorization."

"But I need someone in here with me. Please?"

He stood in silence, looking conflicted.

"Sir, you can't go in," one of the guards was saying out in the corridor.

"Very well," was Loki's reply. "Then I'll just wait here until I can enter."

"Hey," the guard snapped, "don't make us lock you up for being a nuisance."

Cami saw Stott roll his eyes and turn back. "Oh no," he said, teasing the guys, "by-all-means, don't give him exactly what he wants."

"How is she doing?" Loki asked through the doorway.

Stott lowered his voice, but his words still carried back to Cami in the cell. "She doesn't like being in here alone."

"That's understandable," Loki explained. "The cell won't protect her. She is actually in more danger from my double by being confined."

Cami felt a sharp stab in her head as Gary activated his communicator. The tone of his voice grew more serious as he said, "This is Stott. I need to speak to Director Fury." After a brief pause to get a response, Gary continued, "Alright, then ask Agent Hill. It's urgent."

Cami climbed off the bed to stand at the bars, straining to see them off to her left.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm on duty in the cell block. It's come to my attention that the prisoner should not be left alone. She's open to attack from the Bad Loki. I'm asking permission to post guards inside the block as well." Gary looked over his shoulder, twisting a little bit so he could see Cami. His features didn't change as he listened to the response from Hill.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Gary said then closed the line. He told Loki, "Come on in. We'll let those guys cover that side."

Loki stepped through the doorway. "Will you get in trouble for this?"

"Nah, I can talk my way out of anything serious. Who doesn't trust this face?" He indicated his own round features, accentuated with a wide smile and warm, brown eyes.

Loki came to the bars, reaching through to touch Cami's cheek. She eagerly cuddled his palm, craving the physical connection.

Gary appeared to appreciate their moment then reopened his comm line, causing another quick stab in Cami's head. "This is Stott. Please relay a message to Agent Kotter for me? I am requesting his assistance for guard duty at the cell block."

"Can I get some painkiller?" Cami asked with a grimace.

"Yeah," Stott said, "the med team is supposed to be down in a little bit to take some blood. We'll ask them to give you something."

She nodded and then requested Loki fill her in on what had been said at the meeting, a task which took him several minutes to accomplish.

When Dan Kotter arrived, he pointed out that Loki wasn't in uniform. "You might want to split. I heard that your parents are here. Fury is probably walking them down."

Loki lacked visible concern over the warning. "I want to be here for this."

"What if I did die?" Cami asked him with trepidation. "What if I'm a double and don't know the difference?"

Loki's hand slipped around to the back of her neck, gently pulling her forward against the bars so he could deliver a kiss to her forehead. "Impossible. No one can duplicate such perfection."

Cami had teased former boyfriends for being too cheesy with their compliments, but for Loki, who had lived so long, done so much and treated her with more respect than any other lover, his words were very reassuring in her current state of upset.

The main door opened a short time later, revealing the arrival of both the med team and Fury's group. Loki remained at the bars with her as everyone shuffled in.

"What are you doing in here?" Fury asked Loki. "I know I made my wishes very clear at the briefing."

Stott reported, "Agent Hill authorized us to station a second group of guards in here, Sir. I let Loki in to help keep Cami calm."

With an annoyed shake of his head, Fury turned to Odin. "The medical team is going to run blood and DNA tests on her to compare with her file and the samples we collected from the suite. It should only take a few minutes for them to get what they need."

Dr. Lloyd gestured to the table. "This will go easier if we bring her out where there is more space."

"Want her cuffed?" Stott asked.

Fury said, "I don't think that will really make a difference."

Loki backed up as Gary stepped forward to slip the key into the lock and open the door. Cami stepped out, taking the chair indicated by Dr. Lloyd. She tried not to dwell on the fact that Stott and Kotter had their hands resting on their holstered sidearms or that Loki stood apart.

"I've got a bad headache," she mentioned to the doctors as they pulled in close to begin their work. "Every time the guards use their comms it gets a little worse."

This news seemed to surprise Dr. Lloyd, but he didn't comment except to promise she'd get something to help.

After the blood draw, a mouth swab and a quick check of her vitals, the med team grabbed their stuff and headed for the lab.

"Her blood pressure is pretty high," Dr. Lloyd told Fury. "Since she's complaining of a headache, I've got to give her something to regulate it. I'll check her file and come back down. We might have to move her to the infirmary."

Odin came around the table as the doctor left the cell block. He pulled out the chair near Cami's and seated himself. He openly studied her, successfully keeping emotion from crossing his own features to give her any indication of what he was thinking.

"Take my hand," he said, holding it out. Cami was shaking as she placed her much smaller hand in his. "Are you afraid?"

"Some," Cami admitted, though that fear didn't come from concern over what he was doing per se. She did become aware of an increased tightening in her chest though.

Dr. Montoya took the chair directly across from Odin at the table, setting down her notepad and pen. "I need you to answer some questions, Trainee Barton." Cami wasn't familiar with Montoya or her personality, though she knew that Loki didn't seem to like her very much. "What is your full name?"

"Camille Rae Barton."

"What were your parents' names?"

Cami hesitated as she couldn't help wondering why Montoya wanted to know that when it didn't relate to the situation at hand and the doctor could access all the personnel files anyway. "Harold and Edith Barton," Cami answered, casting a questioning gaze toward the stiff Fury.

"How old were you when they died?"

"Four—almost five."

"How old was your brother Clint at the time?"

"Sixteen."

"Do you remember where you were when you found out they had died?"

She understood that Dr. Montoya was attempting to get her emotions riled up and Odin was using some sort of magical radar on her, but it really sucked being manipulated. "No, I—don't remember exactly," she said, rubbing at the ache beneath her brow with her free hand.

"Who told you?"

Cami strained to access the old memories despite the pressure in her head and torso. She just needed to concentrate somehow. Taking some breaths, Cami slipped back into that moment in her mind. She could almost feel Clint's sturdy embrace and strained breathing against her ear as he tried to keep from breaking down.

_It's both amazing and frightening what the mind can remember_, Cami thought, shaking away the memory and blinking to disperse her starting tears. "It was Clint. I remember that he pulled me up on his lap and whispered it to me."

"Anything?" Dr. Montoya asked, directing the question to Odin.

The king looked uncertain as he muttered, "Bring him in."

Cami turned in her chair, watching as the door opened at Fury's beckoning and he waved Clint into the room. Clint met her gaze for only a moment with cold eyes as he took the chair the director pulled out for him at the end of the table. Biting at her lip, Cami also averted her gaze. It hurt too much to stare, knowing her brother would not acknowledge her.

"Agent Barton," the doctor addressed him with the same business-like tone she'd been using with Cami; "we were just covering some facts about your parents' deaths."

"Oh." Clint leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms and clenching his jaws.

"How did they die?"

He answered like each word was being dragged from him. "In a car accident."

"Cami says she wasn't yet five years old. Is that correct?"

"Ummm... sounds right."

"You were the one who told her?"

"Yeah. I didn't want some stranger to do it." When his gaze shifted fleetingly in Cami's direction again, Clint fell silent.

"You don't believe this is Cami, do you?"

"No. I don't."

Cami's chest continued to feel constricted with heat radiating up to her face. She guessed that her features had to be flushing with color.

"Agent Murphy," asked Montoya, switching her focus, "does your double have your memories?"

"Yes," Loki replied. "He possesses everything I experienced prior to the division of my soul."

"Then questioning her further is likely a waste of time if she's a double," Montoya concluded.

"Not necessarily," the king said, leaning a little closer to Cami. He encouraged, "Tell us what he did to you."

Cami froze, staring into Odin's good eye as she seemed to drown in the surfacing details of the attack.

"I don't need to hear this," Clint interrupted, quick to show his anger along with his discomfort. "I read the report. My sister is dead!"

Cami screamed at him, "No, I'm not!" With Clint's apparent rejection, a hot pain raged in Cami's chest. "I haven't done anything wrong, yet everyone is against me!"

The detention center's lights began to flicker. Fury, Stott and Kotter dug their communicators out of their ears as the devices blared with static and a high-pitched squeal. Cami seized up, overrun with heat and energy, and began to convulse. Odin caught her as she fell from the chair, cradling her in his embrace.

* * *

__Note- This is the last chapter of Mischief Makers - Part Two. The story continues in Mischief Makers - Part Three.__


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